This season has been a series of ups and downs for the men’s soccer team. The Eagles have faced an equal amount of wins and losses to bring the team’s record to 5-5-1.
After a big win on Oct. 4 against William Jessup University, the Biola men’s soccer team faced a loss to The Master’s College on Oct. 7. In Golden State Athletic Conference play, the team has a record of 2-3. This record is not ideal for the team, and have struggled to make things work consistently on the field.
“We’ve had 5 or 6 games that we lost by just one goal, even though we were the team that played better and created more opportunities during the game, but at the end we just couldn’t finish those opportunities,” said junior defender Christian Aparicio.
While the team showed some of their weaknesses during their matchup against Master’s, they also showed strengths that will help them succeed as the season rolls on. One of those strengths includes the new offense the team has integrated into their style of play. The team hopes the new formation will result in better scoring opportunities.
“Last season we played a 4-4-2, I think the 4-5-1 has helped us to have more possession of the ball, I think we have done a good job with the formation but I still think we can get better and improve things,” Aparicio said.
While the season has been far from perfect, with the help of this formation and great team comradery, the Eagles stay hopeful for their chances in post-season.
“[I hope] we can grind out a few more wins here out of the five, get to playoffs, and then peak at the right time. I think if we peak at the right time, we can do very, very well in playoffs,” junior forward Alex Kincade said. “We will probably see a lot of the teams we lost to and I am very hopeful that we can win against them and come back stronger.”
Aparicio and Kincade, both returners to the team, carry over 500 minutes of playing time between the two of them. Both remain hopeful for the future of this year’s team.
The Eagles have five more games in GSAC play. Next they will take on Concordia University who currently sits in first place in conference.
The last time the teams met, Concordia took the title from Biola in the last five minutes of the GSAC championship game. The men will battle Concordia at 3 p.m. on Oct. 15 in Irvine in what is sure to be a tough match.
