Soccer season is officially underway, and the Panthers have returned to the pitch with some unfinished business and a new desire to take home the gold. With new coaches and players looking to embark on their first seasons at Chapman, that dream might just become a reality.
The men’s team is currently 1-1-1 in the season and just secured their first win against the Life Pacific Warriors with a score of 5-0 on Wednesday evening. During the match, the Panthers attempted 37 shots, 16 of which were on target, and the Warriors attempted merely four, with only one on target.
In addition, the five goal scorers were sophomore business administration major Evan White, freshman business major Oliver Adams, sophomore business finance major Reed Leidlein, junior business finance major Leo Wells and sophomore business real estate major Diego Perez.
A concern for the team last season was their inability to be consistent offensively, though this year, head coach Eddie Carrillo believes his midfield might be evolving.
“If we can get a little more midfield scoring, that’s huge for us,” Carrillo said.
In the 5-0 victory, White scored his fourth goal of the season after just three contests, and has already surpassed his total of three goals from last year. He leads the team in goals currently.
Carrillo also commented that their newest recruits are bringing more depth to the team.
“I believe we have one of the deepest and strongest benches we’ve had in a long time,” Carrillo said.
Similarly, senior captain and business administration major Alex Glynn claimed that this group is more connected and motivated than ever. With hopes of competing at the top of the conference this year, leadership will play a vital role for the Panthers.
Glynn and Cormac Galvin, senior business administration major and the second team captain, have been friends since their freshman year and are now key members of the squad.
“A lot of what we do is leading by example and showing that we’re not above anyone else,” Galvin said.
Overall, strengthening the squad’s defense and scoring are the main focuses for Carrillo and his team. Their Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) season starts on Wednesday, away at La Verne University.
As for the women’s team, they have started with no losses across their first three games. At the end of August, they took down the Pacific University Boxers and Lewis & Clark University with scores of 2-1 and 3-0, respectively.