IAC BOYS SOCCER: NEWARK VALLEY LOOKS TO OFFSET LOW NUMBERS WITH SOLID LINEUP (2024-08-27)
By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
NEWARK VALLEY — Dwindling numbers appear to be the biggest challenge for the Newark Valley boys soccer team this season. Of course, the Cardinals will have some experience to work with, as well as a change in divisions.
NV moves to the IAC South Small School with Tioga, Newfield and Odessa-Montour, and with several strong performers back, the Cardinals hope to be competitive.
A few players were absent on the opening day of practice, but several team members played in the off-season to gain additional experience.
“I would say at least half of them played indoor, if not more,” coach Mitch Thurston said. “Six out of eight that are here played indoor, and we've got good returning players.
“Bela (Krenner), Elijah (Williams), James Wales, Brandon (Eynon),” noted Thurston of some of his top returning players. “Brandon, only thing with him, just got to keep him healthy. Last year, he had two concussions.”
NV had five IAC South Large School all-stars on last year’s team with Krenner and Wales coming back for their senior years. Newfield and O-M return five all-stars apiece while defending South Small School champ Tioga returns three.
The team also has five games against teams from the IAC North, which is usually very competitive.
“I like what I see,” Thurston said of the preseason effort. “It looks good, what I have here. Three players are not here today, and all three are new players.”
Unlike the winter and spring sessions, which begin when school is in session, the fall preseason starts during summer break and that often causes some absences at the first practices.
“It's the last weekend,” Thurston added. “Everybody wants to go on vacation on Labor Day weekend, so it's tough.
“I'm glad I switched my first game because we were supposed to have six practices and have a game, and we weren't going to be ready,” he said. “I knew that ahead of time, so I moved it back a week, which is going to work out good for us. All the kids who are going to be missing the practice will have enough in, even though we got to go on Labor Day, but it still gives us enough time to get ready.”
The team’s early preseason focus will be defense, then move on to offense.
“Where we play first is defense, then we’ve got to possess and go from there,” Thurston said. “Play good defense and possess the ball, then we'll develop our attack from there.”
NV has a good returning core group to work with and help the younger players along.
“Five starters back that are out there,” the coach said. “Trying to recruit. Getting them indoors back would be a big help for us. Our youth, they've played a lot indoors.
“Only bad thing is I have three new players that have never played, but they're athletes. One's a wrestler. One's a hockey goalie, so I'm looking to add him into the goalie situation, so that'll help us out a lot too. If I can get Elijah out of goal, put him in the goal and Elijah on the field, that will help us a lot too.”
Newark Valley opens the season Sept. 10 against Odessa.
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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
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