The men’s soccer team has been battling on the field throughout the season and that fight may take them all the way to the national tournament. They have competed and beat against and beat talented teams. This has put them amongst the elite teams in the conference and other division III soccer teams in the nation.
Half way through the season, the Pacific men’s soccer team broke into the national rankings for division III soccer at number 11 and held their position throughout the season as they continued to battle on the field.
Senior midfielder Kizamu Tsutakawa said that the team’s main goal was to be number one in the conference and to make it to the national tournament, and by the team’s record success so far, this goal may be accomplished.
Head Coach Jim Brazeau said that this year the team came into to the season with a different mentality. His players took the disappointment from being so close to winning conference in past years to motivate them even more this year.
Senior captain Mike Iacolucci said, “In previous years we have gave it all we had only to stand by and watch more experienced teams walk away with the trophy. Not this year. Now it’s our turn to wear the crown and we have earned it”.
Brazeau said his players have a winning mentality and though they will be losing a lot of experience when the seniors graduate, the younger players will still have that the proper mindset to win.
Brazeau said his team’s positive mentality; commitment to being excellent and team leaders has brought them to the point of winning conference and going to the national tournament.
For Iacolucci, the team’s achievements this season are due to the hard work each player puts in. Iacolucci said that his class came in and wanted to get better. They had to fight every game and they built up a work ethic that now has propelled them into a position to win conference and the opportunity to compete in the national tournament.
He said of his senior class, “our legacy here for the past four years has been hard work. We weren’t the most skilled guys on the field back then but we knew how to work hard”.
Iacolucci is really proud of where the program is and all the hard work the team has put in this season. He is also excited to see where the program goes on from here. “We hope to be remembered as a team who never quit and who made our way to the top through hard work and dedication.”
Leave a Reply