On Saturday, Aug. 31, the men’s soccer team at Union University lost 2-1 in an away scrimmage game against the Maryville University Saints in St. Louis.
The loss, however, does not unveil how fiercely the teams battled. Maryville University is second in the Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason poll, which indicates the grit that the Union men showed in this exhibition match.
That grit was in full force as Union was up 1-0 at the half with a goal scored eight minutes into the game by sophomore forward Gavin Scott. After halftime though, there were some tweaks made to the starting lineup that changed the dynamic of the team as they headed into the second half.
With those changes, Maryville scored at the end of the second half off of a throw-in that landed in the box, and the second goal was off of a penalty kick that the referee called against Union, even though the tackle came from Maryville.
“We have a good tight-knit group of guys on the team,” said Scott. “Everyone has a great relationship with one another, and we are all in it for the same cause. Coach Cox and Scheck have given us the platform to be successful, and we need to go out and show it.”
This is the team’s third season under head coach Steven Cox and second season with assistant coach Andrew Scheck. According to the players, both coaches have been great assets to the team as they care about each player not just on the field, but off the field as well.
To add to the team’s chemistry, seven new players were added to the Union family, four of them being freshmen as well as a transfer senior and a graduate transfer. With these new players, the team dynamic has been evolving each week as players learn about the strengths and weaknesses of those around them.
Despite a couple of injuries of David Hurtado and AJ Morgado in the midfield, the team has continued to step up the competitive atmosphere it takes to qualify for the NCAA tournament this year.
“I think, to be honest with you, the toughest opponent will be ourselves,” said Felipe Firmino, senior midfielder. “I do think there are good teams in our conference, but I do not think there is a team in our conference that is impossible to beat. I feel like if we work hard every day and do everything in the game that we do in practice, we can definitely go to conference this year.”
There are a couple key components heading into the season. One of these is junior forward William Valencia. Last year, Valencia was injured during the season. This was a big loss since he is a major impact player up top and creates goal-scoring opportunities. Another key player up top is Scott; he scored seven goals last season with four assists.
With Scott’s vision and Valencia’s speed attacking the goal, the Bulldogs will continue to apply pressure on any opponent’s defense.
The next home game for your Union Bulldogs will be Thursday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. against Trevecca Nazarene University.
Photo courtesy of Union University
