By Jack Walker
The Grand Rapids Community College men’s soccer team returns for their second ever season, on Monday, Aug. 26 against Schoolcraft College. GRCC went 13-4-1 with a playoff win last season and will look to replicate the success of last year. The Raiders outscored opponents last season 72-17, if GRCC can come close to that again, another playoff berth will be on the horizon for the team.
Head Coach Damiecko Smith, now in his second season with the team, is keeping expectations high following last season’s success.
“Our expectations are extremely high, no different than last year,” said Smith. “We aim to compete for a conference championship and make it to nationals.”
GRCC returns nine players from last year’s team to provide a veteran presence for the squad. Last year’s key to success for the Raiders was their defense, allowing less than one goal per game, and never allowing more than four in a single match. Sophomore goalkeeper Brett Miller, who started 12 games last season, returns to the squad this year to help anchor the defense.
Of the returning sophomores, one who will be relied on for offensive production is Elijah Mass, who recorded 16 assists along with six goals of his own in just 18 games as a freshman. GRCC averaged over four goals per game last season, only being held scoreless three times. Mass will play a big role in making sure the Raiders can put up similar numbers.
The defensive side of the field will also be returning some help, as sophomore defenders Ian Gunderson, Chase Laarman, and Cole Drozdowski begin their second season. Gunderson was able to start 17 games out of 18 played and registered 1,500 minutes for the Raiders last season. In his 17 games played, Gunderson only spent less than 80 minutes on the field once, while playing all 90 minutes in 12 different games, making him a reliable option on the defensive side. Laarman was able to register 15 games started as a freshman, scoring three times and assisting four, while Drozdowski also registered minutes in 11 games.
When asked what he would like to see out of the returning players, Smith said, “leadership and accountability. They need to be welcoming our new players while also providing guidance.”
The Raiders roster will feature 19 freshman players and just nine sophomores.
A big test comes for the Raiders in their first league game against Schoolcraft College. Last season, GRCC faced Schoolcraft three times, with the Raiders winning one of those three. More to the backstory, Schoolcraft was also the team to knock the Raiders out of last season’s playoffs, beating GRCC 3-1. Schoolcraft was a number one seed in last year’s playoffs, making this an early test for GRCC.
Despite the potential big game against Schoolcraft, Smith and the team aren’t treating it any differently than a normal game.
“Every game is treated the same,” said Smith. “There are some great teams in the conference, so we will ensure to give them the respect they deserve.”
In sports, it’s not uncommon to see teams with success falter the year after, every team needs a plan to stay the course in order to keep winning, and the Raiders are no different. Smith kept it simple on what the team needs to do in order to potentially improve off of last year’s record, “trust the process, and the game plan and stick to it.”
With the season around the corner and expectations high, Smith shared his thoughts heading into the campaign.
“Just keeping things positive, trying to have fun playing competitive soccer while ensuring (players) understand that academics is their first priority.”
GRCC will start the season with three road games, before their first home game on Saturday, Sept. 7 against Owens Community College at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex at 4 p.m.
One thing to note is that outside of the game against Owens, home games for GRCC will no longer be played at MacKay-Jaycees Park like last season, the new home field for the Raiders will be at Midwest United FC Complex in Kentwood. The first game at Midwest United will be Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. against Jackson College.
