Lucas Punkari
There may be snow on the ground but that’s not stopping the Muskie soccer squads from getting their pre-season drills underway.
Utilizing both gyms at Fort High, the boys’ and girls’ teams are entering their second week of tryouts—and both coaches are liking what they are seeing from those who have chosen to come out.
“We have about 30 players trying out for us, and it’s a nice number to have since we can run some actual drill sessions in the smaller gym,” noted Muskie girls’ head coach Sarah Noonan.
“We’re going to be a bit of a younger squad as we have less returning players than we usually do, but we’re seeing a lot of talent from the Grade 9s and 10s that are moving up,” she added.
Meanwhile, 31 hopefuls are vying for a spot on the boys’ team, with an equal number of junior and senior players at the tryouts.
“It’s not like basketball where you have a separate program for junior players to develop in, so you have to find a combination for player development and also in looking to win,” explained boys’ coach Shane Beckett.
“This year, though, is going to be a tough year for some of the newcomers to crack into the squad as I would say we’re going have a majority of the final roster being fourth- or fifth-year guys,” he noted.
Both coaches will be making their first cuts at the end of this week.
The final squads will be decided upon once the teams begin to practice outside, and before their NorWOSSA season-opener on Wednesday, May 4.
