Ferndale Boys Soccer Looking To Rebound This Year

The 2010 season was a season to forget for the Ferndale varsity boys soccer team.

The Eagles finished the season with an overall record of 5-15-2 and only one win in the Oakland Activities Association White (1-10). They were right near the basement in the division, beating out only Hazel Park in the standings. Both teams will move down to the OAA Blue this season. 

While Ferndale had a talented bunch of players, things never quite clicked for the group. Defensively they allowed an average of four goals per game in losses.

“Defense was certainly an issue last year,” head coach Steven Motter said. “We were young and inexperienced in the back, and we really went through some growing pains; later in the season we started to figure things out.”

On the other end of the field was an even greater struggle at times. The Eagles failure to convert solid scoring opportunities hurt them throughout the season.

“I think our inability to finish hurt us even more,” Motter said. “We left way too many points on the field by not putting away easy chances.”

Practices just started for the fall season, but Motter is optimistic his team will be better on both offense and defense. The number of players that participated on travel teams in the offseason is encouraging.

“In the past very few, if any, kids where playing in the offseason so we where starting from scratch every year,” Motter said.

It’s the main reason the Eagles won’t see a huge drop off in experience despite graduating seven seniors, including four starters. Motter said the difference in skill and conditioning levels between kids that pushed themselves in the offseason and those that didn’t is evident right away.

That’s not to say Ferndale won’t miss some of the seniors that graduated. He pointed to Anthony Brazeau as the player he thought his team would miss the most. 

“He was definitely not the biggest or strongest kid or the most naturally gifted kid on the team but his motor was nonstop and he just had a knack for being in the right place at the right time,” Motter said. “Everything that we did offensively and defensively was started by Anthony.”

Some players expected to make an impact are juniors Collin McLaughlin and Aidan Gale along with senior Patrick Reiter. 

McLaughlin has played in the center back the last two seasons. Motter said the junior was “itching” to get to the goal more and will get that opportunity this season. He’s a very strong player with a great pace.

Up front he’ll play alongside Gale, who Motter called the “most technically sound” player on the team. He will play in the middle for Ferndale. Gale’s creativity and vision on offense will help set up the offense.

Reiter will play left back and if the Eagles plan on trying to make a run at a district title, he will need to have a strong season.

“He is a great man marker that also has the capability to get forward and cause a lot of trouble with his pace, service, and his ability to shoot from long range,” Motter said.

McLaughlin and Reiter will be co-captains along with senior Noah Reiter and junior Leo Kopack.