By COLLIN BOLEBRUCH
Last season, the Plattsburgh Cardinals men’s soccer team fielded 24 different players. Twelve of them scored a point.
The 2024 Cards have surpassed both of those marks, with 26 and 13, respectively, through just two games. Oh, and they’re 3-0-2.
The Cardinals defeated two top-25 teams to open the season in the Northwestern Mutual Cardinal Classic tournament — beating Manhattanville 5-0 on Aug. 30 and Baruch 6-0 on Aug. 31. They then followed it up with three positive results, tying UMass Boston 1-1 on Sept. 7, defeating Endicott 4-1 on Sept. 8 and then tying Clarkson 1-1 on Sept. 11.
Plattsburgh has fully embraced its “brand-new” identity set forth by head coach Chris Taylor, rolling out six new regular starters and rolling out all but three of its players. Eight of 11 first-years have already seen the pitch.
The Cardinals’ profound depth has been a backing force of its non-conference success — not just guys who will step on and play 30 minutes, but also the ones who play five.
“We hope that some people really step up and claim certain roles as guys off the bench, and maybe even push the starters,” Taylor said. “You never know when the opportunity is coming, but when you get it, it’s up to you to take it.”
The group of 11 first-years is the largest Taylor has recruited over his seven years, and that figure doesn’t include the two transfers.
The Cardinals’ staff wasn’t uncritical of incoming players, but as Taylor described, the team netted more of its top prospects than the coaches expected.
Landing ready-to-play rookies aligns perfectly with the team’s structure. Plattsburgh’s best players — John Hayes, Brian Coughlan, Modou Badjie and Teddy Healy — are all seniors that needed instant help to maximize the team’s potential.
One first-year, forward Ryan Shalvey, found the back of the net against Baruch. Despite playing the 15th most minutes in the game, he contributed in a way only five others did.
Shalvey has played just 10 minutes since. These non-conference games have been a learning experience for Taylor and the Cardinals, and so far, it’s proved there are contributors down the bench.
“This is the performance, these games right now. You need to prove yourself early for (SUNYAC) games,” Shalvey said. “Every kid wants to get on the front foot early and just prove themselves to get into games.”
Owen Langer, a rookie forward, played in four minutes against Endicott. During those 240 seconds, Langer won free kicks and connected with his teammates in the middle of the field.
Alongside Langer on the bench are 15 other outfielders, all with the ability to serve a niche role on the pitch.
Against UMass Boston, Taylor moved Coughlan up the field to create more offensive opportunities. In his place, he inserted junior Colter Cheney-Seymour. By the time the team scored, Cheney-Seymour had impressed to the point where Coughlan wasn’t moved back.
The next day, against Endicott, Cheney-Seymour remained on the bench in favor of fellow junior Tony Kochelev.
“Different personnel are going to be needed for different moments and different situations and different teams,” Taylor said. “It’s just going to give us options.”
Three of the six new starters are new members of the team entirely — all of which are defensemen. First-years Lucas Arbelaez and Jack Murphy and transfer Randall Ashong join Coughlan to form Plattsburgh’s top back line.
As an almost entirely new group, a period of growth and meshing is expected before the unit sees its full form, goalkeeper Healy said before the season.
“It’s definitely going to take time for us to become a big unit,” Healy said Aug. 20.
But between its two tournament wins, it allowed six total shots, including zero in the second half. This season, opponents have averaged 5.8 shots to Plattsburgh’s 15.4.
The defensive group is bound to see change, as the midfielder and forward groups both saw new starters against Endicott. As substitutes continue to show what they can contribute in limited minutes, their playing time will increase and they could earn a starting position.
“Iron sharpens iron,” Taylor said. “If someone’s not in the starting lineup, but they’re really pacing and pacing and trying to get that spot, then the starters have got to hold them off or get better.”
Keeping a fluid rotation will help keep everyone on the same page as they approach the late season. Sitting on the bench is difficult, Cheney-Seymour said, but when everyone is involved, it keeps the depth chart both close with one another and ready to run when their numbers are called.
“(Trying to keep everyone engaged) is probably the hardest thing to do in college soccer,” Taylor said. “Sometimes it’s not about playing the very best player. It’s about rewarding the person that embodies your values the most.”
Following this strategy lights a fire under the top players’ feet. Having 18 backups breathing down their necks will only push them to improve, instead of remaining complacent with a guaranteed spot on gameday.
“The competitiveness can boost the kids below and then also above because they have to keep working to keep their spot, where maybe in the past, that wasn’t as much of a factor,” Cheney-Seymour said.
The Cardinals are now ranked no. 16 by the United Soccer Coaches ranking for the first time since 2016.
Plattsburgh will next take on Union on the road tomorrow, Sept. 14 before hosting Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Wednesday, Sept. 18 in the final pre-SUNYAC games. Until then, there will be many friendly competitions in practice.
“When we have a big win, that’s everybody’s win,” Taylor said. “It’s not just the guys that get on the field.”
