The Massachusetts men’s soccer team entered this season with tempered expectations.
With a roster compiled of 14 freshmen, growing pains were expected despite the optimism that 2013 would offer a fresh start. The overall sense, especially from coach Sam Koch, indicated that the overhauled roster would eventually mesh together to form a group of exciting and devoted players, a far cry from the teams in each of the last two seasons.
Evidently, the learning curve is much more drawn-out than originally presumed.
Through eight games this season, UMass’ offense has found the back of its opponents net three times. That’s 742 minutes of soccer with only three goals to show, a level of production that equates to 0.38 goals per game, making UMass 194th in the nation. Opposing defenses have shut out the Minutemen six times.
Only three players have registered a point.
UMass’ offensive production has incurred an early power outage, a frustrating development for a team in a pivotal season for the program.
“We’re young, energetic and a hard working group,” Koch said in a preseason interview detailing his crop of new players. “[The freshmen] have a lot of pride and passion. As we go we’re only gonna get better.”
There have certainly been glimpses of this improvement. Freshman Matt Bolduc flashes signs of dominance each game, effectively moving the ball down the sideline and sending crosses into the box. Bolduc and fellow freshman Luke Pavone currently have 18 shots combined, making them far and away the two most effective freshmen.
But this effort hasn’t translated into success. Josh Schwartz, leading scorer last year, has recorded two goals on 17 shots. Peter Alvarenga, Matt Keys and Bolduc each have 10 shots with nothing to show for them.
It’s a disappointing turn of events for players and coaches alike.
“We just got to find a way to find the back of the net because getting a lot of opportunities and still not producing goals is just frustrating,” Keys said following a 2-0 loss to Fairfield.
If UMass isn’t careful, frustration will spill over into conference play, something this team simply cannot afford if it wants to turn around the fortunes of a program currently treading water. While a less-than-stellar out-of-conference start halted any momentum made throughout the preseason, preparing for Atlantic 10 play is the ultimate goal for the Minutemen.
With just two out-of-conference games before conference play begins, the Minutemen are running out of time to find a reliable offensive source. Now is the time for one of the younger players to step up.
There are only 10 games left to salvage a season hurtling toward catastrophe. A repeat finish of the previous two seasons will negate any positive energy created by a roster overhaul. Now more than ever, UMass needs a player to shoulder an offensive attack desperate for scoring and create reasons for opposing defenses to respect the Minutemen attack.
It’s not as if the defense has simply fallen asleep on the field. UMass entered halftime tied with its opponent five times this season but failed to sustain momentum, getting outscored 8-2 in the second half. A conservative playing style coupled with an invisible offense provides little to get excited about.
Sitting at 0-7-1, the Minutemen are in a position to experiment. With an abundance of youth, it’s time for someone to remove themselves from the pack and display offensive ability. This season is quickly developing into a potential building block for years to come.
The 2013 season has reached a crossroads. Desperate for a win, UMass must find a way to use its youth in a more effective manner and restore the offensive power. If not, the possibility of ending 2013 in the same disappointing fashion as the previous two seasons grows more threatening by the day.
And that’s something the Minutemen simply cannot afford.
Mark Chiarelli can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Mark_Chiarelli
