March 28, 2024

By CARMEN PONCIANOcpsoccer1

 

Conestoga Condors’ men’s varsity soccer team has bounced back with a successful indoor season so far. Though it was a rough outdoor season for the Condors, finishing with six losses, two ties and no wins, they have been able to make a strong comeback as they reached the semifinals and finals in their last three indoor tournaments and look forward to making it to the regionals.

“Going from an outdoor season where we were 0-6-2, it’s been quite a turnaround,” said Matthew Davidson, a Condors’ player. “It’s incredible, we’re really turning a new leaf.”

The players have found a hidden appreciation for indoor soccer. Working with a much smaller field it can be difficult to score goals, so their coach has them playing more defensively, protecting the goal and working together as a unit which makes it harder for, as Davidson said, the opposing team to break them down. So far, this has made a significant difference, resulting in success.

Aldo Krajcar, head coach of both men’s and women’s varsity soccer, said the players had a hard time adapting to this concept during the outdoor season, but a change in the players’ mentality has also been a factor in their success so far.

“I think they finally understand,” Krajcar said. “My motto is: having good defence wins you the games and tournaments and the team that works hard usually wins the game.”

And the hard work has paid off, though most of the 16 players have school commitments, work and, like Davidson, play on other soccer teams as well. Despite this, the majority of them still make it out for practice every Wednesday evening. Though Krajcar admits he can be hard on the players, he is confident that this season the Condors will make it to the regionals. And it looks promising as the Condors have already beaten Sheridan, the defending champions, twice in a row even though they are a much larger college, giving them more players to choose from.

“It’s amazing, it has become one of our most memorable parts of this season so far,” Davidson said.

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