Boston College Athletics
BC Weekly Diary With Casey Schmidt
September 04, 2001 | Men's Soccer
August 28, 2001
It is such an exciting time to be a BC soccer player. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night due to the potential of our up and coming season. For the last two weeks or so we have been training extremely hard in order put the pieces together and mold a powerful team chemistry. With a mixture of experienced upperclassmen and tremendously talented newcomers, the squad is looking strong and confident going into Friday's match against Big East rival Syracuse.
If we show up with the desire and determination to win, there is no doubt in my mind that we could defeat any team in the country. We collected an excellent win against UNH to close out the pre-season exhibition schedule, which has given us important confidence in our capabilities. However, too much confidence can sometimes lead to a lack in effort and hard work. As a team, we need to understand that every opponent on our schedule will be top-notch competition. If we want to win and repeat some of our accolades from last year, we must dominate our opponents in work rate by winning tackles, 50-50 aerial battles, etc.
Coming into pre-season, there were various positions in the lineup that were up for grabs. Three newcomers to the Heights have stepped in and dramatically increased the team's level of play. Billy Arnault, from Syracuse, NY, is the most talented midfielder I have ever played with. He is so gifted with his vision of the field. He threads the needle so well and adds a non-stop work rate in the center of the park. It is going to be so interesting to see what this kid can do throughout his collegiate career. Guy Melamed and Paul Chase have joined veterans Paul Bourke and Martin Cantillo to create an infallible defensive line. Guy is not the traditional tenacious defender, but he is incredibly smart and well experienced. He always knows when to commit tackles and move in to strip the ball away from the opposition. Paul Chase has the ability to distribute and attack from his position at left back. Chase consistently connects with the midfield and forwards by use of his pinpoint passing and long ball capabilities.
Off the field, we have spent a lot of time together. Our chemistry on campus is as good or better than on the field this year. We have so much fun when we hang out together because there are just so many quality individuals on the team.
This season has so much potential: raw talent, quality coaching and facilities, and teammates who are compatible on and off the field. I can't wait to step out on our Newton Campus field on Friday and defeat Syracuse in front of our fans and community.
