Young But Determined: Loggers Have High Goals For 2011
When the Puget Sound men's soccer team reported to campus this fall, there was no doubt of this season's objective: Compete for a conference title. With nine starters returning to a team that finished fourth in 2010, the Loggers believe they have the ingredients to compete with the best in the Northwest Conference.
In 2010, the Loggers improved to 10-5-5 overall with a 7-4-3 mark in the NWC. They also found a special spark in front of the Logger faithful, going 7-0-3 on their home turf. All of this was done with 18 freshmen dominating the roster.
One year older and more determined than ever, the Loggers return several key players, including junior goalkeeper Chris McDonald. McDonald took over the starting job in goal last year and earned Second Team All-NWC honors as a sophomore. He ranked second in the NWC with eight shutouts on the year and ranks fifth in Logger history with 12 career shutouts.
Seniors Peter Russell and Marcus Rudd will also help McDonald anchor the Logger defense that ranked third in the NWC last year in GAA. With two seniors on the back line, the defense will be the most experienced group in the Loggers starting lineup and is poised to again be one of the best in the NWC.
While the defense will look to experience, the Loggers will be looking to a new face to lead the attack. Kyle Benson led the Loggers in scoring with eight goals last year as the lone senior on the team. In 2011, the Loggers will turn to a group of sophomores to lead the scoring. Landon Gauthier scored a pair of goals last year, but dished out seven assists to lead the squad. Andrew White ranked second on the squad as he tallied four goals and Ryan Rash added three goals before an injury ended his season prematurely.
Vincent McCluskey was one of four Loggers to tally a pair of goals and will also look to pick up some of the scoring load.
The midfield will be another young group. Sophomores Carson Swope and Colin McIntosh will return for the Loggers after each scored two goals during their freshmen seasons. Some new freshmen will figure into the mix in the midfield with sophomores Nick McGee and Matthew Durland also competing for more playing time.
Two weeks ago, the Loggers were picked to finish fifth in the conference. However, their goals are set much higher as young yet experienced team embarks on the 2011 season.
The Loggers open the season with a road trip to California, beginning on Sep. 1 at UC Santa Cruz.
