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Men’s club soccer kicks into gear |
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Thursday, 20 September 2007 |
by DREW STEWART
Intern Sports Reporter
One of the oldest club teams at Appalachian State University feels like this is their year.
“It looks like men’s club soccer has the best team we have had in the three years I have been going here,” junior Club President Chris Brooten said. “In the past we have always had a losing record, but this season looks like we are going to have a winning one.”
While 60 ASU students might show up three days a week to practice men’s club soccer at State Farm Field, there are only 20 spots on the invite list.
This is a big step above intramurals. The word that best describes these students is commitment.
“The guys are picked based on their skill and commitment to the team, showing up for practice and playing hard,” Brooten said.
The
players invited then carpool to the Saturday games, with the
upperclassmen driving and the underclassmen chipping in some money for
gas.
 Men’s club soccer president Chris Brooten. Alisha Park |
Usually two teams show up to another team’s home field and they play a tiny round robin tournament or a doubleheader.
This weekend, the team travels to East Tennessee University where they will also play Furman University.
“[If]
one of our players doesn’t show up one week to practice, we have a very
deep roster of good players chomping at the bit to take his spot,” he
said.
Last
year club soccer only had about 10 games in the fall, but this year
there are already 11 games scheduled in the first month, and in the
first two months there will be 18-20 games.
“That is unheard of for club soccer,” Brooten said. “Most clubs only schedule about five to seven games tops.”
A
couple of club soccer players made the varsity soccer practice team.
Occasionally, a varsity soccer player will quit but still need to get
their competitive streak out on the club team.
“We
have had a bunch of players that have kind of been on the brim, good
enough for varsity but didn’t quite make it,” Brooten said. “Maybe it
is too much pressure, too much time. So club is really competitive, but
it is also on the light side, a lot more fun.”
Brooten is from New Jersey, where he played club and high school varsity soccer.
“I
guess I just missed it, so I wanted to get involved with something,” he
said. “I figured soccer would be a good thing to do.”
The
club soccer team plays schools like Duke University, University of
Tennessee at Knoxville, University of North Carolina at Charlotte,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State
University, Wake Forest University, and Elon University.
“We
are trying to step it up this year, we have been submitting our scores
to the region’s head honcho and updating our Web site,” Brooten said.
“We are going to find out if we get invited to the regional tournament
and then nationals.”
Scoring
has not been a problem so far this season, as two out of three wins
have come by a five-goal margin, including a 5-0 shutout at home
against Western Carolina University.
The
team’s score and assist leaders are Brooten and junior treasurer Andrew
D. Otero at forward, as well as freshman co-center midfielder Juan R.
Mendoza.
The club’s secretary, Dustin W. Wood, is the starting sweeper.
“We
are 3-2 right now, but in the two games that we lost, it was away down
at Wake Forest and we had to play two back-to-back games in 90 degree
heat,” Brooten said. “It was right at the beginning of the season. My
whole team was cramping up and getting dehydrated. So I know if we
played at home we would definitely beat them.”
“At
practice, we just scrimmage, play keep away,” he said. “In the games,
every single weekend we have different players basically.”
Mike Nystrom was president for two years but graduated last year.
“[Nystrom]
kind of started grooming me especially, but the other officers too, to
take on the leadership role and keep club soccer progressing,” Brooten
said.
The team will host a home tournament Oct. 20-21.
“We get about eight teams up here and charge a little bit of money for [referees] and facilities,” Brooten said.
“After
this season, I do not think it will go downhill from here,” he said. “I
think it will definitely keep progressing. The future definitely looks
bright.”
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