The fall of 2007 was an exciting time for Wake Forest athletics. Sure, the football team’s nine wins, including a Meineke Car Care Bowl victory over UConn, was great, but the real highlight of the fall was the soccer team’s National Championship.
Four months later the team is not idling basking in the glory of that accomplishment. Since the middle of March the soccer team has been participating in its own version of spring practice, and in their case it even includes a seven game exhibition schedule against other teams. After Friday night’s 1-1 tie with New Mexico at Spry Stadium I had the opportunity to talk with Coach Jay Vidovich about the team’s work this spring and the outlook for next fall.
“Spring is extended time for preseason,” said Coach Vidovich. “We’re fortunate that we’re one of the sports that has that opportunity to play during the spring. You don’t have your seniors around; you’re trying to find your new leadership, looking for people to step up; trying to find replacements for those players that left and just keep everybody developing. Fill the holes, find those pieces, find the leadership, and just develop everybody.”
So who is stepping up? “The team is stepping up as a whole,” said Vidovich. “The team is developing and working very hard, getting stronger, and their speed of play is quite good. Leadership-wise it takes awhile. Sam Cronin obviously was captain last year so he’s in an immediate situation where he’s a leader, but now he has to assume a different role because before he was with Julian Valentin. But all the upper classman - Marcus Tracy, Mike Lahoud, Jamie Franks - all those guys are doing their part.”
The soccer team is in a great position to accomplish a lot of things in the spring. Because all of the games are exhibitions, younger players and those who haven’t had much game experience get the opportunity to play full games. Multiple times this spring the Deacs have had two games in one day, as they did yesterday (Sunday).
On those two-game days “we’ll play two teams so our “second team” will get the opportunity to play a full 90 (minutes), which is a big thing for them now to have to step up and carry the game rather than just being in a substitute role,” explained Vidovich. “We’ve had a couple opportunities like that and a couple people have stepped up – Nick Courtney, Danny Wenzel, and Justin Lichtfuss.”
Defender/Midfielder Danny Wenzel is one of two 2008 recruits who have entered school this spring and are already practicing with the team. Wenzel has been getting playing time with the first team, while the second early enrollee and fellow D/M Chris Estridge has been playing more with the second team. (There’s a good write-up on all seven recruits on the official website here).
So what about next fall? Coach Vidovich is certainly excited: “I think it’s going to be a great year to be part of the program. There’s just tremendous seniority where guys have gone to a final 16, a final four, the national championship. These guys have been through a lot, so now to have them share their experiences with the freshman coming in and teach them the ropes and what’s going on should be a good situation. It will be very difficult for people to find time on the field.”
It’s great to hear that the team is having a productive spring. Fan interest seems to be remaining high for the soccer team following the championship; there were around 200 people at the game Friday night. I know I’m excited to watch this team in the fall as they try to defend their National Championship, and I plan on having Old Gold & Blog provide regular coverage of the season.
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