By DAVID COOK
While the Williamston boys soccer team may be a little light on seniors and is perhaps not as talented overall as past squads, a great team spirit and good old-fashioned teamwork have the Hornets off to a solid start this season.
“So far, this has been one of my better years in terms of coaching from the perspective of we don‘t have as much talent compared to past years, but the guys are playing better as a group,” Williamston coach Brent Sorg said. “They play for one another and there are no egos. This is just a good group of kids this year who care for each other. It’s not about the ‘me’ with them, it’s about the ‘we.’ They have exceptionally good team chemistry.”
That team togetherness has enabled the team to have a record over the .500 mark as the soccer season moves past the midway mark.
Leading the way for this year’s team are the three captains. Senior Matthew Sovis is in the midfield, senior Connor Pace is also a midfielde,r and junior Charlie Coon is in goal.
Sovis gives the team its flair with his style of game.
“Matthew is a talented player who is fun to watch,” Sorg said. “He is an entertainer as much as he is a soccer player. He is very effective in the final third of the field and is very good with the ball.”
Pace is a gritty player who epitomizes the `team-first’ attitude of the Hornets.
“Connor is relentless,” Sorg said. “He has a work ethic second to none. On his club team, he is a defender, but for us we need him in the midfield. He has had to make an adjustment to his game for us, and he has done a good job of doing that.”
A big plus for the Hornets this year has been the return of Coon in goal. Coon was the team’s starting keeper last year as a sophomore, but a broken collerbone in the first match of the season ended his season and took something away from the team.
“Charlie is a very good keeper who has kept us in many games this season,” Sorg said. “He has given us opportunities to win games. We lost him early last year in the first game of the season, and it’s good to have him back this year.”
In front of Coon, the Hornet defense has been anchored by center back Austin Syrek.
“Austin has done an admirable job of anchoring and coordinating our defense,” Sorg said. “We have two juniors, a senior, and a sophomore back there, and Austin has done a nice job of coaching them and keeping them organized. He has been a pillar of our back line.”
In the final weeks heading into the district tournament, the Hornets are concentrating on improving and getting ready for what is going to be a rugged district. The Hornets host this year’s district that includes defending Division 3 state runner up Lansing Catholic Central Central and Perry.
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