By Jett Johnson
Assistant Sports Editor
Trevecca’s men’s soccer team has kicked off the first nine games of the season with a record of 3-7.
Although the start to the season has not been perfect, head coach Danny Leavy had positive takeaways from the preseason practices.
“It was earlier than normal because this is called a festival year for the NCAA. It started 10 days earlier than we normally start, so that made a big difference organizationally during the summer,” said Leavy.
Cameron Hess, a senior forward, also had a positive outlook for the year after preseason training.
“Usually we start with a lot of fitness activities, but this year we started with only a few fitness activities. Overall, the focus was getting the ball out of the gate,” said Hess.
The Trojans have played three regional games this year and are 2-1 in those contests.
“Regional games can be really important for us in terms of the postseason. We had three regional games this year, and we won two and lost one. So we did really well in the region,” said Leavy.
The Trojans are currently 1-6 in conference play.
The change in the team’s mindset is evident according to Leavy.
“Conference play is just different; it’s that next step up. Our guys know they played in our region, but they know they have to play even better in our conference,” said Leavy.
Leavy has a clear goal for the team on the field this year.
“Our goal is to be in the top four at the end of the regular season,” said Leavy.
Cristiam Lopez, senior midfielder, hopes to become a leader on and off the field for the Trojans.
“My goal is to set an example for each of the younger players, and also to make sure that each player knows what the coach expects from them,” said Lopez.
Marlon Grossman leads the Trojans offensively. Grossman, a sophomore forward, leads the team in goals (five) and points (10).
Adan Gonzalez anchors the Trojans defensive unit. Gonzalez has 38 saves and one shutout this season.
Trevecca currently sit in tenth place in the GMAC conference standings. They hope to gain ground before the conference tournament at the end of October.
