SEASON REWIND AND LOOK AHEAD: PART 5 - MEN'S SOCCER

MEN'S SOCCER
THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2011
SEASON REWIND

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEASON REWIND AND LOOK AHEAD: PART 5 - MEN'S SOCCER

LANGLEY, British Columbia – After yet another outstanding year for the Spartans in the sporting arena and with the 2010-11 season just over a week away from being officially put to bed, we take a look back at each team and the season they had competing for Spartans Athletics and a look forward into what the future might hold in 2011-12.

 

Today: Men's Soccer
April 8: Men's Hockey
April 11: Women's Volleyball
April 12: Men's Basketball
April 13: Men's Volleyball

After going to the CIS national tournament for five straight years and coming off a bronze medal winning 2009 season, the Spartans came into the 2010 season with high expectations.

Although Trinity Western did lose two of the best soccer players to ever don a Spartans uniform in Paul Hamilton and Nathan Pogue, for a team had become accustomed to getting to success, the goal was still a berth in the national championship.

But this year that was not to be the case.

The Spartans were hit by injuries early and often as they never truly gained any substantial traction throughout the season, and especially on the road.

The Spartans started the season with a disappointing 3-0 road loss to UBC, but then quickly rallied with a pair of wins in their home opening weekend over Victoria, 2-0, and Fraser Valley, 3-0.

But a pair of draws the following weekend in Lethbridge and Calgary saw the Spartans again take a step back in the Canada West standings.

They managed to get a 3-0 win over Saskatchewan the following Friday at home but on Saturday, this being Oct. 2, the Spartans fell 4-0 to Alberta in their worst home loss in team history.

 After that, Trinity Western went 2-3-2 down the stretch but it wasn’t enough as a 2-0 loss to Saskatchewan in the final game of the regular season eliminated the Spartans from playoff contention. For the first time since 2002, the Spartans found themselves on the outside of the post-season looking in.

The final result was indicative of a season plagued by the Spartans inability to win on the road.

At home Trinity Western was 5-1-1 and earned shutouts in all five of its wins. Overall, including the 4-0 loss to Alberta and 2-2 draw with UBC, the Spartans outscored their opponents 16-6 at their Langley-based pitch.

But on the road they posted a record of 0-4-3, were outscored 13-6 and will now start the 2011 campaign having gone 12 road games without winning a regular season or playoff game against Canada West competition.

“I think we completely underachieved for the potential that we had,” said Spartans captain Gogo Vitic. “To be honest, I think it was a lack of unity within the same mindset. All of us had good intentions but I just think a lot of it was dispersed and we didn’t have a unity to bring us together, especially when you have a turnover rate that’s a little bit higher than usual and I know I need to do a better job as a leader.”

Trinity Western averaged 1.57 goals for per game and 1.36 goals against per game. The Spartans led the league in shutouts with seven and goalie Andrew Fink had six of them to lead Canada West. Fink also had a goals against average of 0.90, which was second in the conference.

Danfi Parker led the team in goals with seven in the regular season while Andre Costa had five. Parker also was second in Canada West with 4.00 shots per game.


Spartans midfielder Jordan Whitehead was the lone Trinity Western player to make the Canada West all-star team this year as, for the second year in a row, he was named a Second Team All-Star.

In the spring season, Trinity Western played four games and posted a 1-2-1 record with both losses coming in the Keg Spring Cup, to UBC in the semifinal, 4-1, and to Victoria, 2-1, in the bronze medal game.

A LOOK AHEAD…

With all that has been said about 2010-11, the season that wasn’t is over.  And when the Spartans to the pitch in August all but one of the 16 players who played in last year’s final regular season game will be back. The only player who won’t return amongst those 16 is Chase Wickham, who transferred to NCAA Div. 1 Alabama-Birmingham.

The Spartans will only lose Jordan Hart and Joseph Passi to graduation so, unlike last year, the Spartans enter the 2011 season with most of their key pieces already in place.

With defenders Brayden Volkenant, who missed all but one of his team’s regular season games last year with an injury, and potentially Jake Jorgensen, who missed all of last year with an injury, returning, the team is primed to make a return to the playoffs.

“I’m looking forward to next year because I think with this year and the struggles in leadership and trying to all get on the same page, I think at least we’ll have a lot of that figured out and we can really put pedal to the metal and get going,” Vitic said. “I feel like we’re narrowing in on what we know is going to help and what is going to provide success. Now it’s a matter of going to get it.”

Last Updated: 2011-04-05
Author: Mark Janzen