The 2009 season begins in four days for the Wabash College soccer team. If Thursday’s scrimmage against the Valparaiso University reserves is any indication of what Little Giant fans can expect, look forward to some fun, exciting soccer.
Wabash returns 18 players from last year’s very young squad that opened the season with four wins and two double-overtime ties in its first nine games before finishing 5-10-4 overall. The 2009 team features senior leadership from Jon Funston, Dave Rosborough, Drew Kapsalis, Christian Krenk, and Tim Cheek. Juniors Mike Scheitlin and Mark Babcock and 11 sophomores and 10 freshmen make up this year’s roster.
Sophomore Austin Jennings paced the Little Giant offense in 2008 with nine goals in 19 games. Fellow sophomore Femi Oluyedun added two goals and five assists for nine points. Babcock, Kapsalis, and sophomore Dylan Andrew each tallied two goals last season. Sophomore Pat West started 14 games in goal for Wabash in 2008. Scheitlin and freshmen Matt Paul and Kenny Harris will join West as netminders this year. (View the 2009 roster
here.)
Expectations are increasing not only among the players and coaches at Wabash, but among the rest of the North Coast Athletic Conference coaches, as well. Depsite an 0-8-1 record in league play last season, the Little Giants were picked eighth in the conference coaches poll this year.
The Little Giants have had some extra time to come together as a team this year in addition to their 10 practices leading up to Thursday’s preseason match. Sixteen players practiced for a few days in August before leaving on a 10-day trip to Argentina to study the language, culture, art, and history of Buenos Aires in addition to spending time with clinicians and coaches in the area.
“I have seen some real team bonding this year,” head coach Roberto Giannini said. “The chemistry on this team is really good. The guys showed that with the first exhibition game.
“The team that played the first 45 minutes of the match played some of the best soccer I’ve seen from a Wabash team. They scored a beautiful goal and had several other chances to score throughout the period. The players on the field for the second 45 minutes came in and played hard. They went hard to the ball and scored another goal, which helped us to win.”
Wabash scored a 2-1 victory in Thursday’s scrimmage came after Jennings scored the first goal of the night in the opening period. Kapsalis added the eventually winner early in the second session for a 2-0 lead. The Little Giants open the regular season Tuesday night at Wheaton College.
Photo - Sophomore Austin Jennings races past the Valparaiso defense on the way to a goal in the Little Giants' scrimmage Thursday night. Photo courtesy of Susan Albrecht.
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