By William Masselli ~ Editor in Chief
Currently, the University of Lynchburg Men’s Soccer Team is enjoying a four game conference and overall winning streak.
The team has the unenviable task of being in a conference with the best team in the nation, Washington and Lee.
Griffin Phillips, a defender, believes his team is in good shape to make the ODAC championship game and compete with Washington and Lee, stating, “I think we certainly have the quality to get there. We just need to keep learning and improving, particularly on the small things. We just need to take it one game at a time and we’ll get to the place we want to be, which is competing for the ODAC championship.”
Phillips continued, “I think it’s just small things here and there, like more communication from everyone on the field. I know that I need to do it more, and even though we have been doing a good job so far, there’s always room for more. I think we are starting to really get some good chemistry going forward and are really settling into our system.”
Phillips then talked about what his most memorable moments of this season are, stating, “I think the Atlanta trip was really fun and great for the team. While we had a split in terms of game results, it was important for us to bond during the trip. The best game was beating Roanoke 2-0 at their place.”
Kyle Gallagher, a goalkeeper, talked about the critical things for his team to succeed, stating, “Shutouts are the most important thing from a goalkeeper’s point of view. However, a lot of it comes down to the players in front of us. Goalies only get around 10 opportunities a game to make an impact while the defense must deal with dozens. Therefore, everyone has an important role in achieving this. Much of the credit for the shutouts should go to our defenders.”
Gallagher then talked about how hard it is to compete in the same conference that the nationally top ranked team in the country is in, stating, “Ever since I have been a freshman, our biggest rival has been Washington and Lee. While it is always a tough match, those are also the most fun matches to play in and watch. Them being the top ranked team certainly shows their strength, but it is nothing that our team fears. We hope to get the chance to play them again in the ODAC championship.”
As the Hornets began their march to the ODAC tournament, Gallagher shared a message for his younger players, stating, “My message to the younger players is that there has never been a perfect season. Especially this season, we had a few tough losses early on. The important thing is that we continue to get better each day and we want to hit our peak performance right when the ODAC tournament starts. It does not matter what anybody’s record is once we arrive in the ODAC tournament. Everyone gets their chance and as seen with last year’s tournament, no matter the team’s rank, everyone will do whatever it takes to win.”
If you are interested in watching the University of Lynchburg Men’s Soccer Team, please visit https://www.lynchburgsports.com/sports/msoc/2021-22/schedule to view the team’s upcoming schedule.
Sources
Griffin Phillips phillips_gw@lynchburg.edu.
Kyle Gallagher gallagher_k@lynchburg.edu.
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