Madison’s boys’ soccer program is excited about its potential in the Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division.
The Blue Streaks return nine starters from their last season in the Western Reserve Conference, a squad that finished 4-13 overall and 0-6 in league play.
“I believe our team potential this year is to be competitive in the new CVC conference,” said ninth-year Madison coach Julio Gutierrez. “We lost a couple of guys on defense. However, some of our players have stepped up tremendously to fill those gaps.”
Up top, the Blue Streaks will rely on three junior forwards to attack the opposing net.
Travis Heintz, Logan Reed, and Max Kollhoff all will play key roles for the Blue Streaks this fall.
“Travis is a third-year letter winner and will be a big asset to our attack as he has shown growth these past two seasons,” Gutierrez said. “Logan’s agility and explosiveness will be one to watch for this fall as he has increased speed and agility. Max’s speed will be very fundamental to our attack combined with his strength.”
In the midfield, senior Andrew Rusnak will team up with juniors Nick Swinarski and Zach Horvath.
“Andrew’s quickness and vision will make him one fun player to watch this fall,” Gutierrez said. “Nick’s growth in the past couple of years has not gone unnoticed. His ability to see the game will help us cover a lot of ground. Zach will be a big help recovering and distributing balls through the middle of the field.”
Seniors Bradley Jackson and Ashton Zembower and junior Gavin Stewart will serve as Madison’s last line of defense.
“Bradley’s leadership and vision for the game will be very important when it comes to defending our side of the field,” Gutierrez said. “Ashton has become that defender you can’t play a game without. He is a tank and will be a big asset to our defense. Gavin is very versatile player that we can use anywhere in the field due to his speed and athleticism.”
Senior Diego Garcia is back in the net for a third season and junior Brandon Reidl will provide depth.
“For three years, Diego has been a huge asset to our defense, being a leader and guiding the team from the back,” Gutierrez said. “Brandon is a player and keeper. He will help us either goalkeeping or in the field.”
While the Blue Streaks are excited to compete in a new league, they also know the key to their success is playing together as a team.
“We will have to play as a unit whether we are attacking or defending,” Gutierrez said. “We will have to maintain a solid connection.”
