A young Manitou boys soccer team gained valuable experience in reaching the Class 3A state tournament this season. Unfortunately, it was a brief run as the Mustangs fell to KIPP Denver Collegiate 2-1 in the first round.
The season ends with a much-improved 8-7-1 record, leaps and bounds better than last year’s 4-11 effort.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of this season is that the team loses only one senior, Luke Donegan. Now, with playoff experience, the returning players will look to do much bigger things in 2023.
“It was important especially going into next year,” junior Nick Schneider said. “We have a lot of young guys that were able to get out and get the experience of playing in a playoff atmosphere.”
The Mustangs return a solid senior class next year, including leading scorer Evan Yount (13 goals, 12 assists) and keeper Deric French. Graham Beckum and Bowman Hall combined to score nine goals this year and both will be back, as well.
The results of this season, if nothing else, should set a standard for where this Manitou team should hope to be not just next season, but for years in the future. The Mustangs want to be a perennial playoff team and establishing that culture has to be done not just during the course of a season, but also in the offseason.
“We have to stick together, even in the offseason,” Schneider said. “Even if it’s just getting a couple of touches on the ball and all that stuff going into next season.”
With all but one player returning, next year’s team should look more talented and should also be more mature on the mental side of the game. And that should result in high expectations next August.