Hamilton West boy’s soccer player Jeffrey Meckel practices Aug. 19, 2013. (Photos by Mark Wetherbee, Jr.)
Hamilton West boys’ soccer player Brian Zarzecki practices Aug. 19, 2013. (Photos by Mark Wetherbee, Jr.)
Following a winless season in 2011, Hamilton West boys’s soccer players hope to build on last year’s success
It may be a stretch to call it a resurgence, but the Hamilton West boys’ soccer team certainly enjoyed an improvement in 2012.
A pretty good one at that, as the Hornets won over twice as many games as they did in the previous two seasons combined. West won two times in 2010 and was winless in 2011 before coming up with five victories last year and taking powerful Trenton Catholic Academy to the limit in a 2-1 loss in the Mercer County Tournament.
Is the program getting back on its feet?
“Last year meant a lot,” said senior tri-captain Jeff Meckel. “Obviously, not winning any games was tough and to come back and get five wins and actually make the Mercer County Tournament meant a lot. It was one of our goals.
“We took a lot out of the TCA game. They’re a really good team, and we played with them. It was closer than we ever expected. We just wanted to make the seniors feel good because it was their last year. Now we’re trying to carry some of that confidence into this year.”
Coach Mark “Goose” Laurenti isn’t about to make any brash statements, but he knows his players are coming into the season a lot more confident than they did last year.
“I think the guys are feeling a little bit better about things,” said Laurenti, now entering his fourth season. “The five wins is a building block. We played very well against Trenton Catholic so the guys know they can play with the highest level guys and be competitive. So we build off that. Hopefully this year we continue to improve, and maybe get a shot into the state tournament.”
Hamilton hasn’t made the states since 2009, but if last year’s 5-13-1 record was any indication, things could be headed in the right direction.
West Windsor-Plainsboro South head coach Brian Fisher commented that “Hamilton knocked the ball around pretty good in the summer league.” Tri-captains Meckel, Brian Zarzecki and Sebastian Cwalina spent the summer organizing practices and gatherings, and feel the attitude is a lot more upbeat entering this season.
“We’re very confident,” said Zarzecki, the team’s goalie. “We only lost four seniors last year and we’ve been working all summer with coach Milton (Suah) on our new (4-3-3) formation. I have a feeling we’re gonna get more wins than last year.”
Suah is Laurenti’s new assistant, a para-professional who played at Trenton High and Rutgers Camden.
“He was with the guys most of the summer, and he did a fantastic job,” Laurenti said. “The kids played really hard, and you can see the improvement.”
Cwalina felt that just winning a few games last year made it much easier, and more exciting, to come out and work in the summer heat.
“Definitely, because we have something to work for,” the junior said. “We see that we can win, we have the possibility to win. We have a drive now.
“Last year, it was a real nice awakening. We realize we’re making progress and we can get things done. We just need a little bit of work and we can have a good functioning team. We actually didn’t lose many players, most of the team stayed the same and we’re hoping to get a better season.”
Perhaps the biggest factor is that winning breeds winning. After his players tasted some success, Laurenti has noticed a more intense commitment from them. He sees more enthusiasm and more of a desire to learn the system.
“Soccer is a simple game,” he said. “We try to keep it simple and give them the basic fundamentals that will take care of themselves as long as they’re in condition.”
The coach feels one of his biggest needs will be to find goal scorers, but that seems to be what a lot of teams need in the Colonial Valley Conference lately. The Hornets’ cohesion, however, seems to be developing.
“I like the fact they are communicating on the field,” Laurenti said. “That is always an area you like to see improvement. The guys who have been playing together, they talk, they communicate.
“As much as coach Suah and I harp about playing it simple, they’re really looking to do that. That’s the key thing.”
Meckel likes the fact his teammates are buying into it.
“We’re working on new stuff, we’re working together more,” he said. “We feel like we can compete with anybody.”
And if competing means further improvement, that may even mean a resurgence.
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