The Observer, September 2, 2005
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1
missing title
The 2005 men's soccer team will start this season with two key elements they did not have last year: a recruited class of freshmen nearly 20 deep, and an incredible new all-purpose field turf stadium to call home. While most of Case's students and faculty already know about the new field at The Village at115, it is far less well-known that the Spartans have such a strong freshman class. Those young players, paired with the experienced core of returning players, solidify the already encouraging outlook for the upcoming season. It is without a doubt that this year's significantly improved team will not only better last year's 3-12 record, but also provide hope that Case men's soccer will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
The most striking improvement in the 2005 men's soccer program is the sheer number of freshmen who came out to compete for a position on the team. Nearly 20 freshman players came out to compete with another 20 returning players for a squad that was eventually trimmed down to only 28. The freshmen who eventually made the team are an incredibly skilled group of players who will surely make an immediate impact on the field. Senior striker Jeremy Winkler is just one of the many people who believe that this year's incoming class of freshman soccer players is particularly talented, touting it as "the strongest Case has seen in at least the past four years." These skilled young players, already admired by Winkler and fellow teammates, are great additions to the current squad and are certainly the future leaders of the team.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about freshman players is their maturity and understanding that they are just that, freshmen. It is understood by the freshmen and returning players alike that the returning core of strong, experienced players are the leaders of this year's squad, and that a good deal of the team's success rests firmly on their shoulders. Returning seniors Ben Braisted, Jarrod Predina, and Jeremy Winkler are just three of the 13 returning players from last year's squad that will be leading this young team both on and off the field. Freshman forward R.J. French admires the group of returning players and believes that they are essential to this year's team because they are "really experienced players who will certainly teach [the freshmen] a lot."
Another impressive element of this year's team is second year coach Dan Palmer. Palmer deserves significant credit for his hard work in recruiting this year's strong freshman class, but more important in Palmer's return may be the stability and dedication to the men's soccer program that the former Hiram coach will certainly bring to Case. Palmer's return marks the end to a string of coaching changes that have plagued the Spartans in recent years.
The hopes and expectations for the 2005 men's season are certainly high among players. The team has faith that they will improve, as explained by returning sophomore Neal Duryea. "I have high expectations for this year's team because I know that we have the ability to excel. We're going to do a lot better than last year," Duryea explained. "We'll finish at least .500. I also believe we'll win at least two UAA games."
While improving their record to .500 may be a difficult challenge to accomplish in just one year, it is certainly not out of reach. The Spartans have the resources, talent and experience to make games exciting and beat just about any team on their schedule.
