Season preview of the Brock men’s soccer team
The Brock men’s soccer team is less than a week away from kicking off the regular season. On Sept. 8th the Badgers will play their first game against the McMaster Marauders at home on Alumni Field.
The Badgers have several new recruits heading into the 2023 season with 10 of the 30 players on the roster being freshmen. Constantino Apostolou, Nicholas Buccianti, Rory Cotroneo, Conrad Czarnecki, Samuel Erickson and Aleksandar Trkulja are all freshmen defenders heading into the season.
Noah Geyer and Lucas Medieros are freshman midfielders, alongside strikers and wingers such as Daniel Avila Suarez and Cristiano Colamartini.
This group of recruits joins a Brock team that finished the season with a 4-3-5 conference record and a .542 win percentage.
The Badgers last season struggled at home, managing only one win at Alumni Field and finishing with a 1-1-4 record. Despite struggling at home, they picked up on the road with a 3-3-1 away record.
Brock made the OUA playoffs but unfortunately lost in the first round against favourite Guelph Gryphons in a close game that ended 3-2 (PK 5-4).
One of Brock’s weaknesses last year was the inability to convert on offence, only scoring eight goals in 12 regular season games. Their defensive play made up for the lack of scoring as they allowed just five goals.
Much of the credit for the low goals against goes to now-junior, Taylor Mickolczi who had seven clean sheets last season. Because of Mickolczi’s outstanding play, Brock finished third in GAA average only allowing 0.45 GA per game. Only Ontario Tech and York University were better defensively.
If Mickolczi has another outstanding season and the Badgers can become more of a threat offensively they should be a force to be reckoned with.
For more information on the Badgers men’s soccer team click here.