Men's Soccer Takes Cape Fear by Storm
On Wednesday, August 22, 18 Mercersburg soccer players representing nine countries (a tropical storm prevented Andre Watkis ’08 from catching a flight out of Jamaica) arrived at the Mercersburg campus to participate in a pre-preseason soccer tournament. The next morning, after a team breakfast in the dining hall, the players boarded three vans driven by coaches Kempe, Bershatsky and McClintick, and headed southeast for a 10-hour, 480-mile drive to Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington, North Carolina.
After checking in to their hotel, the team went to nearby Wrightsville Beach for some body surfing and beach soccer. They were able to get in a practice on Friday morning, the first time this group worked together on a soccer pitch, before playing a late afternoon game against South Carolina’s Trinity Collegiate School.
The game against Trinity Collegiate got off to a slow start, although the Blue Storm found itself up 1–0 at the half. Netkeeper responsibilities were shared by Andrew Reichardt ’08 and Dillon French ’09. In the second half, the Storm picked up the pace and launched five balls into the back of the Trinity goal to win the match, 6–0. It was, as Coach Kempe noted, a “relentless offense” made possible by players who arrived on campus in excellent physical shape. The veteran players know well what to expect during Kempe’s preseason, so they do what it takes during the summer to meet the challenge.
The team celebrated that Friday night with an all-you-can-eat chow down at Wilmington’s Carolina BBQ Restaurant. On Saturday morning, the Blue Storm squared off against The Kiski School, a rival of sorts, from Saltsburg, Pennsylvania. Last fall, the varsity team endured a tough loss to Kiski, and this season Mercersburg faces Kiski early in the schedule, so some suspense hovered about the match. All the players got quality minutes on the pitch, including newcomers David Marshall ’11, Joey Roberts ’11, Germany’s Macel Wontorra ’09, and Fabio Gomez ’09 of Brazil. Fueled by Carolina-style pulled pork and baby-back ribs, the Storm swarmed to a 7–0 victory, its second straight shutout.
After the game, Coach Bershatsky picked up the latest copy of People magazine, donned his custom-made rubber gloves, and drove to the nearest laundromat to wash the team’s uniforms. The rest of the team headed back to the hotel, where the Hampton Inn staff cheered them on in a display of genuine Southern hospitality. Later in the day, the Storm returned to play the tournament host, Cape Fear Academy. Both teams had posted 2–0 records and, because Cape Fear Academy has begun its school year, the field was ringed by students, parents, teachers and the head of school. Veteran David Strider ’08 put the Storm up 1–0 in the first half and, despite the fast back-and-forth play, Mercersburg had the better offensive opportunities. Some miscommunication on the defensive end, though, resulted in the first and only goal scored against Mercersburg in the three-game tournament. Striker Logan Craig ’08, who had scored at least one goal in each of the two previous games, landed the Storm’s second goal of the match off a nice assist from Mercersburg native Ethan Strickler ’08.
The defensive adjustments made during halftime worked well during the second half, as the Storm was able to shut down Cape Fear while creating some great scoring chances. Valentin Quan Miranda ’08, who had returned to Mercersburg from his home in El Salvador, sent a blistering shot off the Cape Fear post, while Strickler managed to nail the crossbar with another hard shot. The half was filled with Storm threats, but when the referee’s whistle officially ended the Cape Fear Kickoff Classic, Mercersburg came away with a solid 2–1 victory.
The team accepted the victory trophy, and Quan Miranda was awarded the tournament’s most valuable player award. It was a different way to start the men’s’ soccer season, and the players and coaches made the most of it. Now all they have to fear is the start of preseason.