The Men’s Soccer team has gotten off to a slow start this season. The men have endured a  challenging season so far starting with a 0-9-2 record. 

Halfway through the season, head coach Micheal Regan resigned. The team has now had to adapt to a new style of play and a new head coach. However, one of the team’s biggest strengths this season has been the sense of unity in the locker room. The men’s team has an unbreakable bond that has carried this team through adversity.

“It feels like a family. We all get along with each other and all support each other,” senior Mauricio Cruz said.

The change in coaching staff undoubtedly presents itself as a challenge for this team as the men have struggled to capture their first win of the season.However, the inability to come up with a win is not due to a lack of trying.

“Some individual players get down on themselves, but as a team, we leave it all on the pitch. It’s one of those things that we’ve talked about. When we lose we absolutely leave it on the pitch. Once we walk into the locker room it’s a completely different mindset as now we get ready for the next training session and the next game,” Coach Javier Sanchez said.

 A coaching staff change is a difficult process to go through for any team, but going through that process in the middle of a season is an entirely different situation.

“Everything is improving and everyone is adapting to the new formation and ideology,” Cruz said.  

The men have played through very competitive and close matches. In a recent, nail biting match, the men were able to take an early lead against rival Illinois Wesleyan. The men struggled to maintain that lead, and throughout the majority of the match, they remained tied 2-2. However, in the final seconds of the match, Illinois Wesleyan scored, walking it off in rival territory.

“We’ve been in games where we should have won. We just haven’t been able to score. That’s been our downfall this year. We changed that as of the last game [against Wesleyan]. We were unfortunate to lose in the very last seconds, but I think we’ve turned the page on scoring now,” Coach Sanchez said.

The men continue to search for their first win of the season and continue to improve as a team. Coach Sanchez looks forward to continuing to develop the players.

“Once you’ve developed the players, then the team develops as one. I think after taking over a few weeks ago, I’ve seen that development over and over and over every single training session,” Coach Sanchez said.

Although the team has struggled throughout the season the team still remains playoff hopeful, as recently the College Conference Illinois Wisconsin (CCIW) has changed some rules which have allowed struggling teams to enter the playoffs. 

Coach Sanchez hopes to take over as full time head coach. 

The men look to win their first game of the season at Elmhurst University this Wednesday.

“Even though we’ve gone through all kinds of adversity the morale in the locker room is that they’re still a team and a family, and they still want to go to battle every single day,” Coach Sanchez said.