Getting off to a good start to the season is crucial for any team, but for a young Manitou Springs boys soccer team it was true necessity.
This particular group of Mustangs doesn’t have a lot of experience competing with each other on the field, so easing into the season with a 10-0 win over Dolores Huerta Prep was a welcome sight for coach Ben Mack and a huge confidence booster for his players.
“It boosted our confidence a lot,” junior Evan Yount said. “Then we were able to come out and did exactly what we needed to get (the job) done.”
The Cowboys were a playoff team a year ago, which made the 2-0 win impressive considering the youth of the Mustangs (2-0 overall) and the uncertainty of how they would play on the field.
Early in the season, there is so much to be optimistic about for this team.
Yount and senior Luke Donegan share the team lead with three goals each. Donegan scored all three of his against Dolores Huerta; he didn’t travel with the team to Gunnison. Junior Bowman Hall has two goals to his name, along with two assists.
Perhaps the player that Mack is most pleased with is junior keeper Deric French. He has faced 14 shots so far this season and turned away every single one.
By no means is this team content with what has happened so far, but the players and coaches are encouraged by what they’ve seen early and are excited to keep improving throughout the season.
“We have a lot of new faces,” Mack said. “We’re still trying to work out formations, system of play, who can do what well and all those things.”
Even better, they got to see all that while mixing in a long road trip early in the season. Considering the way they battled to the 2-0 win over Gunnison on Aug. 27, he was pleased with what he saw from that experience.
“I really value long road trips early in the season,” Mack said. “I think that it helps with team building. It was a fun trip and, when you walk away with a win against a quality team, it’s awesome.”
The Mustangs face St. Mary’s on Thursday, Sept. 1, before heading to Alamosa on Tuesday, Sept. 6.