NU men's soccer prepares for regular season in off season

By Tim Kyrkostas
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

It was a cold wintry Sunday night, and instead of being at home relaxing and preparing for the school week ahead, members of the Norwich University men's soccer team were busy working their way through drills and running sprints as if the soccer season were days away. However, their season isn't slated to kickoff for another six months.

"We don't want to rest on our laurels. Last season was a huge success, but we aren't satisfied. We have a goal of winning a national championship." Said junior co-captain Jimmy Strail, 20, a communications major from Liverpool, N.Y.

"We have definitely raised our level of off-season training," said Head Coach Bob Friske, who has guided the Cadets to three straight Great North Athletic Conference regular season and playoff championships, including three straight trips to the NCAA tournament. This year's team advanced to the Sweet 16 round for the first time in school history.

"Every year the program has grown and gotten so much stronger. After this 21-1 dreamlike season, all of the guys felt they could still do much better, which tells you so much about the drive of this team. Once the team got back from semester break, we had a meeting and collectively decided to begin training three to four days a week. We felt that adding a strength and conditioning program during spring semester, and then carried over into the summer, will pay huge dividends for us come next season," said Friske.

"I believe that all the hard work I am doing right now will result in the improvement of my speed and strength, which will only make me a better soccer player," said sophomore Brad Mitchell, 22, a sports medicine major from Essex, Vt.

"We have designed a program that has the team working with the weights in ways that will improve their explosiveness. We have incorporated a lot of Olympic lifts, such as squats, hang-cleans, clean and jerks, and dead lifts, as well as more traditional lifts like bench press, and military shoulder press," added Friske.

Besides the weight program the Cadet Soccer team has added three mandatory training sessions throughout the week which takes place at the Jacob Shapiro Field house.

"Our intensity level at practice has defiantly picked up. Instead of just knocking the ball around, we have been going through some intense tactical and technical training in preparation for next season. We are doing drills to improve our play in tight spaces and our individual ability on the ball," said sophomore Gordon Macgregor, 21, a physical education major from Ottawa, Canada.

All of this preparation is for a good reason.

"We are a top 25 team, but we aren't on the same level as some teams like St. Lawrence or Williams. All of our work during this off season will help us to become one of the top teams in the nation, so we can compete for the national championship," said sophomore Ryan Quintal, 21, an undeclared major from Heidelberg, Germany.

The team is participating in four off season tournaments. These tournaments include the University of New Hampshire Nike Soccer Classic, Clark University Invitational Tournament, The Babson College Outdoor Open, and the Plymouth State College Cup. The team also plays weekly in a local indoor men's league.

"Playing in more than 25 matches against top level Division I, II, and III teams will help us be ready for next year's rigorous schedule," said junior co-captain Jason Shuler, 20, a computer science major from Hopewell Junction, N.Y.

Being prepared mentally and physically for next season is exactly what coach Friske hopes for.

"I really love the fact that my team's foundation is so solid. The upperclass men are showing the underclass men the work ethic that we need to achieve our goals," said Friske.

"My overall game has drastically improved during this short time. I am gaining so much confidence which I hope will help me help the team next season," said freshman Eric Hickey, 20, an architecture major from Wethersfield, Ct.

Only time will tell if this dedication and preparation pays the dividends that Coach Friske and all of the members of the soccer team hope it will. One thing is for sure: come next season, we will see a stronger soccer team than ever before.

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