The Falcons start off the regular season slate with a home matchup on Saturday night against the Indianapolis Jaguars.
Last year the squad started the season against Indianapolis and went home with a 4-0 win.
The Jaguars went 2-15-1 last year, but will look for revenge this time around. “I don’t see (Indianapolis’ record last year) ever being a problem. I don’t think we will ever overlook any opponent,” Falcons head coach Eric Nichols said. He is very eager to see his boys get at it for the first time this year in real action.
Top players for Indianapolis include senior forward Uriel Macias, who paced Indianapolis in points and goals with seven and three respectively, as well as sophomore midfielder Pedro Valladao. Valladao had one goal and two assists last year.
It is unclear who will start between the pipes for Indianapolis, but it is known that it will be a redshirt freshman. Either 6-feet 1-inch Tyler Shanahan from Avon, Ind., or 5-feet 9-inches Michael Buck from Bloomington, Ind., will be tasked with stopping the Falcons.
Junior forward Tate Robertson and freshman midfielder Chris Brennan will look to put shots on net early to test whichever young goaltender is put in the pipes. Being redshirt freshmen, it will be the first regular season action for whichever goalie is put to the test. This could get the nerves going a little bit.
As Coach Nichols said last week, the team this year is so different than last years, in many ways, even in strategy. This can be exciting for the fans in terms of getting to see how the new squad moves the ball at home for the first time in real game action.
Anthony Mwembia, the sophomore goalkeeper for the Falcons from Toulouse, France, looks to keep the ball out of the twine for the Falcons this year. Nichols said that he hopes his squad doesn’t put Mwembia in the position to have to make difficult saves, but if he does, he will be up to the task.
“We know who we are going to start,” Nichols said about the goaltending situation. “I wouldn’t say any battle is quite won yet,”
The lone freshman expected to be in the starting lineup is Zach Buescher, a 5-feet 8-inches midfielder from Holland, Ohio, through way of Toledo St. John’s Jesuit. The freshman is sure to be amped up during his first college regular season game for the Falcons.
Coach Nichols is also appreciative of the the University soccer fans, saying, “We feel like we owe anyone that comes and watches; we owe them everything we have. We’re going to try and execute obviously, sometimes that comes off, sometimes it doesn’t. The one thing we will always give them is our full effort. That’s what we owe people who come. Our fans give us a big advantage.”
Cochrane Stadium will be ready to support the Falcons on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
