MOBILE, Ala. – When Spring Hill College men's soccer head coach Steve Wieczorek looks at the upcoming 2018 season, he is excited about his team's chances for success. Coming off the program's most successful season in its 25-year history with a 12-3 record, the Badgers are primed to take on their first year of full membership in the NCAA and the Gulf South Conference (GSC). "The thrill of being able to prove ourselves in Division II permeates the team," Wieczorek says. "But with that excitement comes added pressure. We are excited about what we have created here on The Hill. We have built a team that is ready to compete and being able to compete at this level is the driving force behind this team."
 
The 2017 Badger squad proved that it could win in a shootout by scoring late and by scoring in bunches, but they also proved they could win 1-0 decisions behind solid defense. Wieczorek admits he is not expecting to surpass his program-record 52 goals scored, but he does think his team still possesses an effective offense. "An outsider probably looks at our roster and sees (junior; Preseason All-GSC) Alex Lipinski (Krefeld, Germany) back up top for us and thinks they just have to focus on him," he says. "But what they will find once they play us that we have a plethora of talent on offense and they have to do more than stop Alex." Making his point, Wieczorek points to senior Tilman Schober of Schriesheim, Germany, and junior Donte Oliver of New Orleans, La., as prime examples of effective veteran shooters who compliment Lipinski. Add to the mix a duo of talented freshmen in Luca Carrese of Cascais, Portugal, and Diego Motta of Plano, Texas, and the SHC offense appears potent.
 
On the defensive side, the Badgers face a difficult challenge in replacing a record-setting goalkeeper, but Wieczorek is pleased with the competition so far. Veteran juniors Barou Ndaw out of St. Paul's Episcopal School in Mobile and Jackson Hoesley of Hoover, Ala., will face the challenge of freshman Alessandro Erdelyi of Turin, Italy. "Erdelyi has a nice pedigree and he has elevated the performances of all three keepers," says Wieczorek. "The competition is heated and it's still up for grabs. What's nice is that all three bring good size and presence in goal, so it's a good problem to have."
 
In front of the goal, the Badger defense will be led by senior Preseason All-GSC selection Jack LaForge of New Orleans. "Jack has been such a nice surprise over his years," says Wieczorek. "He has continually raised his level of play as we have raised the level of talent and competitiveness of the team. His game grew as we grew." As a former goalkeeper, Wieczorek says that SHC will focus on a fast-paced style of play, but at its heart and soul is a defensive mindset. "At our core, we are a defensive team that looks to create offensive opportunities – defense is your best offense. If we win 1-0 every time out by playing the way we play, I'm fine with that." Joining LaForge on the back line will be graduate transfer Nicolas Wandl from the University of Northern Illinois, sophomores Benedikt Kraemling of Ergolding, Germany, Matthew Moreno of Northplainfield, N.J., and Vassil Kokali of Rome, Italy, along with freshmen Axel Forslund of Gothenburg, Sweden, Danilo Bakoc of Toronto, Canada, Josh Pedretti of Newmarket, Canada, and John Putnam of Dallas, Texas.
 
Spring Hill's midfield is loaded with talent and Wieczorek is still tinkering with his combinations as he works on getting his valuable transition game into fine tune. Freshman George Brown of York, England, appears to have caught his coach's eye as has fellow freshman Diogo Sousa of Estoril, Portugal. Senior veteran Haukur Bjornsson of Hafnarfjordur, Iceland, will team with sophomores Zach Witt of Kitchener, Canada, and Timo Schabetsberger of Gurten, Austria, as solid midfield options for their coach. Red shirt freshmen Gabe Louis of New Orleans, and Oscar Hellberg of Vasteras, Sweden, join sophomore and former junior varsity Badger Manuel Fragapane from Passaic, N.J., as returners who know the SHC system and will look to make an impact. Freshmen Cyril Giraud of Ardentes, France, Sacha Ducreux of Saint-Etienne, France, Konstantinos Varesis of Athens, Greece, Juan Pablo Herrera of Acarigua, Venezuela, Eldi Seiti of Venice, Italy, and Judah Chapman of Devonshire, Bermuda, all bring fresh enthusiasm and talent to the Badger midfield.
 
Wieczorek says that the leadership of his senior class has been one of the most compelling stories of the young season. "This group of seniors has elevated the level of this program," he says. "Ndaw, LaForge, Schober, Hoesley and Bjornsson have made this happen and most importantly they made it happen not just on the field, but in the locker room, on the sidelines and on campus."
 
"We have a very diverse team this year, but our seniors have galvanized us into a unit much faster than I thought it would happen," says Wieczorek. "Our freshman have adjusted nicely to the climate of Mobile as well as the grind of college soccer. We look to play in sync and as a unit not just for this team, but for our fans and for SHC – we love this school."
 
The Badgers open the 2018 regular season at Flagler College on Saints Field in St. Augustine, Fla., at 7 p.m. (East) on Friday, August 31.