Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Everyone knows about – and goes to – FAU football games

It is no secret that athletes enjoy playing at home. The crowd support, not having to deal with the travel that comes with road matches, and the familiarity with the training facilities all make playing at home second to none.

Perhaps that explains why the men’s soccer team struggled in 2008 and why they are so eager to bounce back this season.

The Owls posted an abysmal 5-13-1 record last year because of playing only four home games due to switching to the Middle American Conference (MAC). This is a record the team acknowledges could have been better had they not been required to travel so much.
“Having only four home games and lots of road games, especially flying and traveling two to three hours in-between different schools, it definitely took a big toll on our players,” says head coach Kos Donev, who is entering his 23rd season as coach of the men’s soccer team. “These are student athletes. They have worries about classes, tests, trying to win games, perform, practice, recover, so it was very demanding for us.”

Donev will not have to worry about traveling as much this year, as the Owls are scheduled to host 11 home games while playing nine on the road.

What Donev will have to be wary about is replacing some of his key starters from last season. Standout seniors like midfielder Liam Ogle, defender Guilherme Ribeiro and forward Shire Standnes have all departed, leaving the team with positions to fill.

With 15 new players coming in, freshmen like defender TJ Merrigan and goalkeeper Jeremy Crumpton may be expected to contribute immediately.

While first-year players like Merrigan and Crumpton are solely focused on getting established, returning players like captain Jordan Kelly and Trey McEntee are thankful for 2009’s schedule.
“I expect [the schedule] to have a great impact,” says senior defender McEntee. “It will definitely be an advantage to us as well because being in the MAC conference, we play a bunch of teams in mid-America and up north that probably aren’t used to the kind of heat that South Florida has.”

The climate isn’t the only aspect of playing at home that the Owls are looking forward to.”When we’re playing in front of our crowd, them yelling, pushing us to win, [it] will definitely be a big improvement,” adds McEntee about the crowd of a few hundred people that the games draw in.

The Owls’ first chance to show that last season was a fluke and to prove they have such a home field advantage will come on Aug. 19 in the season opener versus Barry University.

 

Games to go to:

MEN
Oct. 3
We play Akron, ranked fourth in the country.

Oct. 30
We play University of Buffalo, who we will play later in the MAC tournament.

WOMEN
Sept. 18
We play Arkasas, an SEC team. This will be a very competitive game.

Nov. 4 through 7
Sun Belt Conference championship.
 This is the first time FAU has hosted it since joining the SBC in 2006.

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