For the last three years, the semifinals has been the hurdle the men’s soccer team has been unable to overcome. It is hoped an added scoring punch will make that obstacle a thing of the past.
Although the Tigers have had little to worry about defensively, a difficulty scoring up front has drawn concern; understandably, too, with a dismal 1.15 goals per game average in their last campaign.
Coach Pat Nearing has made his front line a priority because of this. New faces competing for playing time include strikers Steven Wax from Ottawa and former King’s star Sam Karklins, who will spend his fifth season of eligibility in black and gold. Midfielders Mohab Hassib and Jack Schembri have graduated from the National Training Centre’s regional program and will look to make their mark at the university level.
Nearing expects those additions, along with experienced attackers in Tyler Lewars, Bezick Evraire and Julian Perrotta, to make his team a force offensively.
“That’s really one of those things that we’ve been working on in training camp. People will see a much more aggressive attack up front; hard-working forwards with a drive to the net,” he says.
An already capable defensive core should only get stronger with the return of Kerry Weymann following a season-long injury. The fifth-year veteran will fill the centre-back role and isn’t expected to miss a beat. Weymann has even been practicing all summer in Calgary on the same team as fellow Dal defenders Jordan Mannix, Nathan Rogers and Mark Hagen.
The goalkeeper’s position will see a changeover with Bedford native Jason Ross taking over the reins. His job won’t be easy, replacing graduating CIS first-team all-star Ben Ur, but Nearing says he expects the second-year to fill the role admirably.
All these roster changes have been made with a championship berth in mind. Following three seasons of semifinal defeats, the Tigers feel this is their time to challenge for the league title.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to equal the women’s accomplishments,” Nearing says. “We want to be there as well.”
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