Tribe soccer kicks off
Men triumphant at exhibition game

By Tiffany Kim
The Flat Hat

The men's soccer team defeated the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons 2-1 during last Saturday's exhibition game.

The game served as an opportunity to evaluate the depth of the team both on the field and on the bench, according to Head Coach Al Albert.

Sophomore midfielder Graham Albert, came off of the bench to score both of the game's goals. Graham Albert scored his first goal with an assist from freshman Bryan Hinkle; his second was unassisted.

"We weren't expecting much of anything," Coach Albert said. "We hadn't even been out for practice for six days. We just went down to play, and we really didn't try to get a result. We were just looking to evaluate people. The other team took the game a lot more seriously and wanted to get a result."

The team dominated the first half of the game, scoring both goals, and held Wake Forest scoreless.

During the second half, however, Wake Forest came back, out-shooting the Tribe, 18-4.

Regardless, the Deacons could not get past the Tribe's defense, which included senior Billy Platz and junior Trevor Upton, both of whom tended goal.

The two leading scorers from last year's CAA conference champion squad, junior Carlos Garcia and sophomore Phillip Hucles are expected to be potent forces on the offensive field, along with junior Doug Henry, according to Coach Albert.

Freshman Brian Hinkle is expected to bring new strength to the defense.

Senior Caleb Stoddart has been moved to the midfield position from fullback where Coach Albert hopes he will add even more depth and attacking skill to the offense.

By relying on their strength and ability to score goals, the men also hope to make a run in the NCAA tournament. The team will also defend their CAA conference title.

They have topped the conference for the past two years and have competed in NCAA tournament play for eight of the past nine years.

"We want to win CAA and make it to NCAA [tournament]," Coach Albert said. "The season is not a success if we don't win the CAA and/or make it to NCAA tournament. Our long-term goal is to make it to the final four. One of these years we're expecting to make the final four."

While he said that he did not find anything noticeable weaknesses on the team, Coach Albert hopes to "get a little bit sharper in some situations" and is concerned about the fitness of the team.

"Our biggest thing is to get healthy. We have half-a-dozen guys who need to get their body back," Coach Albert said.

With this win, the men's soccer team hopes to carry the momentum into the start of the season when they face the College of Charleston Cougars on Busch Field, Saturday at 8 p.m. Monday the team meets the Marist College Red Foxes at 7 p.m. at Busch Field.