by MARTY ZIER

Sports contributor

Viking boys soccer Coach Matt Stolmeier is very optimistic about the 2014 season with a 22-player strong team saturated with returning talent and plenty of incoming freshmen.

“We lost some notable players from last year but we have gained many young players and our upperclassmen are stepping up and showing that they have matured and advanced in the off-season,” Stolmeier said. “Seniors Jack Russillo, Alex Rogers, Eric Eagan, Aidan Anderson and Chris Babcock have shown quality and leadership in the first couple weeks of practice.”

Unfortunately, senior Caleb Dean suffered a broken foot during an early summer team camp and may miss this season.

This leaves a hole in the defense but his teammates are up to the challenge to fill the spot, according to Stolmeier.

Commenting on preseason practices, “Our team play and pass work is once again the heart of our offense and continues to impress me at each practice,” he said. “It certainly helps when the freshmen players are able to step into our program with confidence and skill. Much credit to Assistant Coach Chis Doherty and the middle school program for producing skilled players to progress into the Viking squad.”

Stolmeier is focused on earning a playoff berth for the fourth straight year and urges fans to come and support the Vikings during the seven home games scheduled this year.