Notes from Coach on Opening Weekend in APL

First, I’d like to say how proud we are of the team and the effort they put into the opening weekend matches of the 2017-18 season.

We are a brand new squad playing against premier teams that are already established. We will probably not face a team ranked below us all season and some will be in the top 25. We are building a long-term program and are not looking for immediate, easy results. That being said, we are excited about the start we’ve had. In the four full games we have played, the Warriors are 2-2, winning 3-2 and 3-1 and falling 2-3 and 0-4. That is a fantastic beginning based on the opposition.

On Saturday, September 16, the team had a wake-up call, getting down by one goal early on, but eventually coming back to dominate for the win. Offensively, we posted 20 shots, 10 of which were on goal. Davis Myer finished twice, and Justin Noel scored off a perfect header. All three goals came from assists by our player of the game, Justin Collings. The defense played their best match of the early season by allowing only three shots.

The following day, we again started slowly and paid the price against a deep, physical, and talented team. The Warriors came out after half time and played up to their potential, dominating play and firing off three excellent opportunities but were not able to convert into goals. Our player of the match was Aidan Cleary, who played almost everywhere in the game and performed each role very well.

This team will add quality players as they become available and see the progress that the Methacton United Warriors will continue to make. We are pleased to have 14 players that are starters and look
forward to coaching them to future successes—as individuals and as a team.

Next Saturday, September 23, we play West Mont United, which means something extra to four players and both coaches, as we were part of that club last year. We’ll be ready for this next challenge, as the Warriors continue to show determination, grit, and a willingness to persevere, even in the face of adversity and injuries.

Gotta love this team.

Bill