It’s that time of year again. The Center for the Arts is transformed from a cultural mecca into an athletic stomping ground; the sidelines of North College field are lined with fans and a certain orange-clad Athletic Supporter; Wesleyan’s men’s soccer team dusts off their cleats and prepares for another season.
With several weeks of preseason under their belts, which included a scrimmage versus Yale resulting in a 1-1 tie, the players should feel nothing but confidence approaching their opener at Williams College to take on the Ephs. Not only are the Cardinals prepared to take on any team; they have the talent to produce big results.
For experience, the Cards turn to the fifteen returning letter-winners, eight of whom are seniors. For offensive power, they look to returning starters and last season’s leading scorers Jared Ashe ’07 and Peter “Hooter” Glidden ’07. For depth, the team looks to its ten new members from the class of 2008. And for leadership this year, the Cardinals will look to senior co-captains Evan Bissell ’05 and Dan Penrod ’05.
“Bissell is going to be huge in the midfield,” Penrod said of his co-captain. “He has tremendous touch and vision as well as defensive capability.”
As for Evan Berding ’05, a second-team all-NESCAC selection last year, Penrod said, “Berding has a great outside shot and phenomenal speed and should blend well with Hooter and Jared to give us a very potent triangle offense.”
This “triangle offense” is one of the new strategies the team has been developing in hopes to improve their, at times, absent finishing and produce bigger numbers on the score board.
Defense is where the Cardinals have always shown strength. With Penrod returning to the net, and second team all-NESCAC performer Javier Gaston-Greenberg ’05, Reid Ross ’05 and Rob Nerenz ’05 anchoring the back, scoring is sure to prove a rarity for opponents.
This weekend the Cards meet the Ephs in a rematch the team has been anticipating since last year’s post-season.
“They’re not tough,” Bissel said. “I’m a vegetarian and I’m still going to eat them, as they are cows. But seriously, we’re going there to win and that’s it.”
The team is not over confident going into the first match of the season.
“Williams is always a big game, whether it’s the opener or the closer,” said coach Geoff Wheeler. “They continue to set the standard of play in New England so it’s a great opportunity to see where we are. Our 3-1 defeat to them in the playoffs last year will add plenty of fuel to an already raging fire to get after them.”
“Williams is very well disciplined and opportunistic,” Penrod said. “They also have a reputation that plays in their favor; just having their recent history can give them momentum. But I don’t think their intangible advantages will be as important because every returning player on our team is hungry for the opportunity to play them again after last year’s playoff loss.”
So what’s expected of this year’s Cardinal squad? A powerful offense fueled by strong transitions and improved finishing, a reliable defense and solid midfield, but most importantly another great and exciting season from Wesleyan men’s soccer.
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