Author: Soo Jin Kim
Seven games into the season and with 10 more to go until the SCIAC tournament, the Men’s Soccer Team’s season is in good condition. The team’s goal this season will be to make the SCIAC tournament playoffs, or as Coach D’Angelo ‘DJ’ Waddington puts it: “To score one more goal than our opponents.”
Teamwork and sense of unity amongst the team is evident.
“We are getting along both on and off the field far better than in previous years and it is showing in our play,” Griffin Harding (senior) said.
As Andrew Larkin (first-year) puts it, “Follow the team rule: Play for each other.”
“As a team, we have matured and come together as a unit,” Michael Davis (senior) said.
Coach Waddington is pleased with his team.
“We have a very good group of guys that are committed to the program, to the team and to each other,” he said. “We still have a long way to go but I’m very pleased with where we are at the moment.”
With highly competitive games this season, Oxy soccer players have had to train hard and play hard.
“We have been competing seriously [. . .] We play in a competitive league and we will continue to fight in every game,” Harding said. “Our new head coach, DJ, has brought a new fresh way of training to the team this year and that has really improved our style of play.”
“I think it’s going to be a pretty tough season, but one the team can do great in,” Larkin said. “We have some tough games ahead of us, but if we play well together we should be able to make the playoffs.”
Harding agreed, “The goal of the season has been and will continue to be to make the SCIAC playoffs. We plan to accomplish this by winning every game at home and coming back from away games with a point,” he said.
The Men’s Soccer Team has been meeting four days out of the week for two-hour training sessions. Their season training has consisted of improving their fundamental soccer-playing skills.
As a keeper, Larkin undergoes a slightly different training.
“Mondays, we have a tough keeper training that includes fitness and a lot of diving. The rest of the week is more tactical practice and [we] work on improving mechanics,” Coach Waddington said. “The guys are willing to learn, and are willing to improve. We try our best everyday [. . .] to cover all aspects of the game.”
Even with a serious practice schedule, the men have fun while training and playing on the field.
“I have been on the team for four years now and this is by far the most fun I have had playing soccer at Occidental and I owe that to my teammates,” Harding said.Coach Waddington is filled with Oxy pride and hopes to fulfill his two goals for the Men’s Soccer Team.
“Our short term goals are to do better than last season and to make the post season,” he said. “Our long term goals are to continue to build a strong and competitive program, and to always represent Oxy with pride and class.”
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