The men’s soccer team brought home a 2-1 win on Oct. 8, playing against Albright at Shirk Stadium in Reading, Pa. Goals by Adam Diabagate and Jonathan Hart sealed the win.
On Oct. 12, the Mustangs played Catholic University at Mustang Stadium, a game that resulted in a scoreless tie. Most recently the Mustangs lost 2-0 to Messiah College at Mustang Stadium where Stevenson senior Michael Tringali recorded his 100th save this season.
Coach Andrew Bordelon appears to be very pleased with the team’s overall progress. He explained that “leaders have emerged from the squad and we are seeing the benefits to our team culture.” Additionally, Bordelon said that recruitment is going well this year, and that he and his assistants have identified a good group of players who would be a great fit for Stevenson University academically, athletically, and socially. This group of recruits also share the same vision as the current players about how to represent the university’s soccer program as a whole.
While Bordelon recognized his team’s strengths, he said that there are still areas that need work. The most important area being their decision-making, explaining that the team has had a lot of chances but they have not scored at times when they could have. However, this area of change has improved as the season pushed onward.
Bordelon also said that the challenge of playing in the Middle Atlantic – Commonwealth Conference (MAC) is a steep one. The teams are all very strong, and it is hard to perform poorly in one game and expect to still obtain a win. His own newness to the conference also creates a challenge in comparison to other teams who are more familiar with Commonwealth play.
Junior Christian Martinez explained that in the MAC Commonwealth, they will be up against “teams that are beatable,” but that no team is better than the rest. The conference title is up for grabs by anyone. Martinez said that the team “must improve on keeping the intensity level up throughout the whole game,” explaining that he is proud to be representing the school that he loves. Martinez also added that he is proud of how well the freshmen are playing this season, considering they are new to college-level sports.