Entering the final week of play, the Plattsburgh State men’s soccer team has been experiencing a season to remember. Since the beginning of the season, both the players and coaches have realized the potential this team has, and they have no intentions of wasting it.
To realize how special the Cardinal team actually is this year, take this into consideration: If they are to win their next game against Geneseo, this means that the Cards will have gone a month without adding any tallies to the loss column in their record. Although some of these games may be tainted with ties, PSUC has without a doubt been on a tear.
“Competing in a conference like the SUNYAC is like a long-distance race,” head coach Chris Waterbury said. “We’ve done a great job at keeping a good pace so far, but now its time to really finish this thing.”
Waterbury is not the only one who is eager to see what their team can do against SUNAYC competition, however. The whole team has explained how the intensity of practice has reached a new time high due to the fact that they are all working towards a greater goal. Everyone is aware of what is on the line: a SUNYAC title.
“We don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves,” team captain Ethan Votraw said. “We have to take it one game at a time, but we’re trying to chase down that title.”
Unfortunately for the Cards, all their success has not come with ease. Although their 12-1-3 record shows a great deal of success, there has been a number of roadblocks that the team has had to overcome this year. The most prominent of these losses was encountered just last week, when midfielder Fabian Chaparro suffered an elbow injury. It was uncertain how long the offensive powerhouse would be out of commission for. Luckily for the Cards, he was able to recover quickly and get back to helping PSUC push forward. This came as no surprise to Waterbury, describing Chaparro as “the little engine that can.”
Despite facing adversity, PSUC has also seen some of their players rise to the challenge of making their team better. Last week, Alexis Archilla won SUNYAC player of the week, and Nicholas Laurent has also been honored with various SUNYAC distinctions throughout the season.
Looking forward, two out of the three remaining games that the Cards have are SUNYAC competition. They come in the form of SUNY Geneseo and Brockport. Geneseo poses a minimal threat to PSUC as a result of their 2-5 conference record. On the other hand, Brockport is biting at the heels of PSUC as they sit just one rank below them in the conference standings.
Only time will tell what the future has in store for the squad, but for now, it has no intentions of changing how it prepares for its games.
“We play with heart and enthusiasm,” Chaparro said. “That’s something that’s never going to change.”
Email Kevin Morley at kevin.morley@cardinalpointsonline.com
