By Jack Walker
After an impressive 13-4-1 first season in the Grand Rapids Community College men’s soccer era, the team has gotten off to an 0-3 start to begin year two. The good news for the team is that there are still 13 more regular season games to go, including all of their home games left to be played, where the squad went 9-0 last season.
The season kicked off with a match against seventh ranked Schoolcraft College, a team that GRCC has history with despite only having one year of experience. GRCC faced Schoolcraft three times last season, losing two, including a loss in the playoffs.
Schoolcraft in this game showed why they are ranked seventh, beating GRCC 4-0, and limiting the Raiders to just one shot on target.
The Raiders next played Aquinas College JV in a close game for their second match of the season. GRCC took the lead in the 76th minute, but conceded two goals almost immediately, resulting in a one-goal loss, 2-3.
Trying to salvage the rough start to the season, GRCC took on St. Clair County Community College Tuesday afternoon. The Raiders took a 1-0 lead courtesy of a goal from freshman forward Elvin Bajric, the first of his GRCC career. St. Clair County equalized in the 67th minute, but things took a turn for the worse after a red card for GRCC’s Sean Gieske.
Playing with only 10 men for the remainder of the game, the inevitable struck when St. Clair County took the lead in the 90th minute, pushing the Raiders to 0-3.
After three games, GRCC has totaled only three goals, averaging one goal per game, well below their four goals per game pace of last season. GRCC has also allowed nine goals in three games, averaging three goals allowed per game, in comparison to the 0.94 goals allowed per game average of last season. Bajric, Gieske, and sophomore Elijah Maas have the team’s goals, with Bajric having the lone assist.
“We have to learn to play together and finish games,” said second-year coach Damiecko Smith.
When asked about expectations in the pre-season, it was clear that Smith and the team’s number one focus was to win following last season’s success. Despite the 0-3 start, expectations have not changed for the Raiders.
“My expectations are to win, but I want to come together as a team first,” said Smith.
Luckily for GRCC, the season is still young. As alluded to earlier, there are still 13 games left in the regular season, as well as all of the team’s home games. Even if the team is on a three-game losing streak, there are still positives the team can build off of,
“A lot of returning players are doing well, we just have to build chemistry with the new players,” said Smith in regards to what the team can build off of despite the losses.
GRCC will be looking to get in the win column for the first time this season against Owens Community College on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Davenport’s Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex. This will be the team’s first home game of the season and the first time ever they will take on Owens.
Smith was asked what the main point of focus would be in order to get in the win column against Owens, “Controlling our emotions. There is a lack of maturity on the team, so we are storming right now.” Smith continued, “We need to work together to get back to the norming stage, then hopefully start to perform, sooner than later.”
