The Cal Poly men’s soccer team is ranked in the top 25 for the first time in four years. Through eight games, senior forward Mackenzie Pridham leads the Mustangs with five goals on the season.
Jefferson P. Nolan
[follow id = “jefferson_nolan”]
Before the men’s soccer home match against UC Santa Barbara this past season, head coach Paul Holocher pulled his team aside and told the young athletes that they needed to compete on the soccer field as if they were ninjas.
Using Bruce Lee as an analogy, Holocher explained to his team that they weren’t street thugs out on the field; they needed to act like martial artists, protecting themselves on defense and picking the right moment to attack — continuously in control.
“We use analogies like those from movies all the time,” Holocher said. “Last year, it was ninjas, this year it’s going to be Jedi’s.”
And whether they are Jedi’s, ninjas or even gladiators out on the field, Holocher and his team have set themselves up for a successful 2013 campaign. This year, Holocher is hoping that his team has what it takes to finally push through to the NCAA tournament — a feat the program hasn’t accomplished since the 2008 season.
After shutting out then-No. 6 UCLA 3-0 in their third match of the 2013 season, the Mustangs have reason to believe that this year will be something special.
“We’ve got (25) goals scored in these past eight games, when the team notched only 25 last year,” Holocher said. “And it’s spread out among the players. We’re getting a lot of shots and creating a lot of chances.”
Now entering his eighth season at the helm of the men’s soccer program, Holocher is seeing the results of an offensive lineup he set in motion a year ago.
“We’re not reliant on one player,” Holocher said. “We use the whole field when we play. When you pass the ball and look to switch the point of attack, you’re not as predictable; that’s part of our philosophy: to use everybody and use the whole field.”
A new season spawns new ambitions and new aspirations; however, advancing past the semifinal round of the Big West Conference Tournament remains to be an untapped goal for Holocher and his team. The Mustangs concluded the 2012 season after losing in the first round of the tournament to Cal State Northridge.
“We have terrific leadership from our seniors and very good young players who have now been playing in the system for two years,” Holocher said. “We’re just a little bit more mature, and we’re hungry.”
Returning to compete in his last year of college eligibility, senior forward Mackenzie Pridham will be expected to continue his success from the 2012 season. Last year, the Toronto, Ontario native led Cal Poly in goals, notching 11 on the season. He finished second among conference players in that category. His record-breaking season earned him the title of Big West Offensive Player of the Year — the first player in men’s soccer program history to achieve the honor.
“I’m trying to keep a clear head, focus on each day of training, each game one-by-one,” Pridham said. “I’m working hard, staying healthy and trying to help the guys perform — just as they help me.”
Another standout on the team includes senior defender Connor Drechsler who, in the Mustangs’ recent matchup against Yale, headed in the third goal of his career as Cal Poly erased an early 2-0 deficit and won the game.
“It’s hunger,” Holocher said of Drechsler. “He’s a senior, and he has confidence. He’s had another great summer of training, and that makes a difference.”
And while the Mustangs are now more comfortable with the 1-4-3-3 formation they practice, their home stadium is not ideal for the style of play Holocher has preached to his team. The Mustangs fuel off the crowd’s energy while playing at home, but dimensionally, Alex G. Spanos Stadium is an extremely narrow stadium. While the first few games of this season featured road matches for the Mustangs, their return to San Luis Obispo instigates necessary adjustments to be made.
“Spanos Stadium is a lot narrower and smaller of a field,” Pridham said. “It’s harder for our style of play. Being able to adapt to that (it being our home field) was a change because we’ve been playing on basket fields the first couple games. But those little tweaks help us win games.”
The Cal Poly soccer squad has two remaining non-conference matchups before it hosts UC Riverside for its first match of the Big West Conference play. On Friday, the team will travel to Air Force, looking to extend its winning streak to five games.