Nov. 7, 2007

Throughout the season, men's soccer player Josh Carroll will be checking in to provide fans with an exclusive insider's perspective of what it's like to be a student-athlete at LMU.

What Really Matters

First off, I would like to apologize for the lack of new material over the last couple of weeks. It has been a very hard couple of weeks and I have been having a hard time coming up with something positive to write about. The soccer we've been playing hasn't been bad, but it hasn't been winning. We can't seem to find a way to win and we continue on what seems to be a never ending quest in the pursuit of defeat. But I have been recently thinking about why this is happening and I've come to one conclusion: I don't know. I don't know why we aren't winning these games that we should, I don't know why we aren't scoring the goals we should be, I don't know why our opponents are finding ways through us, I don't know. There isn't one singular answer that I can give or come up with that will soothe my mind. Throughout all of this however there has been an upside, the players, my teammates, the people that have stood by me through all of this and have been there day in and day out.

There of course have been the major standouts of the year, the ones you have heard about through the website and newspapers. Those people like Adam Sloustcher; our number 3 has captained us through this whole season and has been an inspiration to us all. With his hard work and leadership it makes me sad that we haven't made his final year one of accomplishments. Leave no doubt folks; Adam has made a mark on all of us both on and off the field with his work ethic and kind heart. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that it has been an honor to play with him. We move onto our goalkeeper Pat Lane, an absolute stud this year in goal and one of the few shining spots. He came into this year a redshirt freshman and unproven in college play, and he has overtaken it all. His play in games and practice raises the team and it makes him a real joy to play with.

We move on to Rafa Baca and Vincent Ocampo, two freshman that have been absolute stunners this year with fantastic play in our midfield. It's very rare to see players with such great skill have good work ethics and be humble; both of these freshmen have that and that's what's going to make them special players. Both of them have experienced some hard stuff this year in adjusting to the physicality of the college game and this new level and they have absolutely excelled. The two transfer players that came in this year were Greg Ricks and Brock Smith, great people and great players. They have been behind the scenes as it comes to press, but make no mistake, these two have been integral to the program with Greg's physicality and leadership in the backline and midfield and Brock's athletic play in the backline. They have been irreplaceable and welcome additions to the team. Speaking of underappreciated, we move to Blayze Hanson. The guy has played almost every minute of the season, he has been the backbone of the defense and has been an absolute rock for us. Blayze has given everything in him to this team and lived in quiet disregard for a long time. Until now, ladies and gentleman, I am giving the praise that is due to a teammate that truly deserves it and should be hearing it more.

Our front line has been constantly changing throughout the year and has been full of many different characters from our team. Nick Blanco, a senior who is one of the best players I have ever played with - quick, skilled, and an eye for goal that makes him so special and another player I am sad to see go. Wilkie Johnson is another player who is a surprising addition to the forward ranks and has been scoring good goals. Coming off of surgeries to his knee, his recovery has resulted in goals for us so it's great to have him back. Brad Stisser has also graced the forward position with footwork that would make Ronaldinho look like an AYSO player. Brad played for the rival club back home before LMU and I can tell you that I am glad to have him on my side instead of as an opponent. Tyler Mehl is a senior forward that has been an outstanding personality on this team throughout his career. A very dynamic player, Tyler is as explosive on the field as he is off of it and by far one of the funniest individuals I've met. Tyler never fails to make us smile with some new YouTube video or an amusing anecdote about the night before. One more forward I can think of is an amusing anecdote in his own right and probably is on a few YouTube videos himself, Jawaan Delaney. Jawaan broke his leg in the game against Harvard and that's the last time he's played this season, but that doesn't mean he's been out of the picture. Every home game you can catch Jawaan on our bench yelling and carrying on like a man possessed. He is the true embodiment of spirit and a member of this team that you can't replace. Everyone that meets him loves him, and that's just the type of person Jawaan is.

In our midfield line we have players like senior Trini Gomez who has been an example of scholarly success while playing top level soccer. His skill on the field and in the classroom is an example that all of us need to follow. Speaking of skill in the classroom we move to Steffen Canty. Steffen transferred in last year from Tulsa and it has been a constant rise to success. Steffen's speed and wicked shot from the right side have been integral in any success we have had on the wings this year and he is always there with a smile and some sort of exotic dance to make our day better. Speaking of exotic dancing, we have Andrew Kristof. Well maybe not exactly but Kristof is one of those people who can bring something to a team that not many people can bring: community. He was injured for most of this season and yet he was never far away when we were training and always kept us laughing with something clever. Now he's back playing and it's great to have him. His work ethic is awesome and when he plays he battles with everything that he's got and I've got more respect for that than for anything.

There you see him, running gracefully, gliding if you will through the opposing players, suddenly he trips over himself and falls to the ground while making a pass. Yes folks it's Garrett Maloney. Garrett has been a huge part of the team this year and has given us all something to watch in every situation. His speed and size make him a great target to play up top and in the back and being the only left footed player on our team, he's pretty important. But from acts of amputation to graceful tumbling Garrett Maloney is a great player that is awesome to play with. Another player I love playing with is Alex Proano. Alex has been injured off and on this year with his knee and I can tell you that it's hard to find anyone who will battle harder than him even with an injury. The guy goes hard into everything and gives 100% on the field. The impressive thing is that he is not only a hard player but a skilled one as well; this multi-dimensional capability makes Alex a fun player to watch and a player to hate if you're not on his team.

Along with all these guys we have two Andrews that have made an impact. Andrew Morris is a talented forward that has come through an injury-laden season and made the best of it all. He is insanely skilled with his feet and one of the most exciting players to watch that we have. The more he plays, the better he gets and that's pretty frightening because the guy is already so good. Andrew Park is a freshman who came into the season not playing much and by the closing part was getting good playing time. His work ethic on the field and hard-nosed attitude have been great additions to our team and he will help us considerably over the next few years. We've also had some great background characters in this team that are just as important. Roland Anderson, Nate Fischer, Sharif Khatib, Jack McCormack, and Go Eto. All of these freshmen have been injured or are redshirting through this year, which does not make them any less part of the team. During practice you can expect to hear Jack McCormack yelling something at you from goal and sliding into everyone with no concern for bodily harm, he's one to watch out for next year. Nate Fischer and Sharif Khatib are the ones that we are looking to produce some goals for us in the spring and next fall, they are both explosive and quick with good power in both feet. They will be a great help when they step in. Roland Anderson is one of the fastest people I have had the pleasure to know. I mean wow, the kid's got some wheels. Roland comes to practice and works his butt off everyday and has improved with leaps and bounds over this year and has been a really fun player to watch. Go Eto broke his leg on the first day of double days, since then he has been the fun guy on the sidelines in a huge cast. He has a great personality and will be a great addition to the field when he's all healed up.

Last but certainly not least are the other two goalkeepers that we have on this team, Miguel Benitez and Patrick Sampson. Both keepers have seen playing time this year and are great players. Patrick Sampson brings the same work ethic day in and day out in practice and is one of those guys that will give anything for the team, which makes him an ideal teammate. Miguel is insane, the guy is so good and he's been plagued with injuries this year and it's really unfortunate because he is fun to watch and great to be around. I know he always brightens my day because the guy is always happy and smiling, an all-around great guy.

I hope this has been a good peek into the LMU team and what we have to offer. No, we don't have the best record and it has not been a good season, but it has not been a waste. We have grown together as a team, as friends, teammates, and brothers. There is nothing that will take away the experience we've had together this year and that is truly what is important. It's been an honor to play with all of these guys and I don't care what our record is or what other people say, I AM PROUD TO BE A LION.

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