 "Photo: P.J. Stanley/Collegian")
Having more starting caliber players than starting slots can be a blessing and a curse; it's always good to have as many quality players as possible, but it can be a hassle to find enough playing time for all of them.
The Massachusetts men's soccer team finds itself in such a situation. This weekend at the UMass Classic, UMass coach Sam Koch and the Minutemen (2-4-2) needed to mix things up so he gave some of the younger players, such as sophomore Matthew Hess and freshman Chris Roswess, a start over a more traditional line-up of juniors and seniors.
"We need a shake-up, we needed to do something different, and I think the effort [the reserves showed] was very good," Koch said. "We have 15 guys who can start, so if the guys who have been starting aren't getting it done, then we will make some changes and see if we can get a different combination that will get it done."
Both games UMass played in the classic went into double overtime. The Minutemen lost to Hartford on Friday 1-0 in the second overtime, and then played to a 0-0 tie Sunday against Vermont.
Many coaches would have concerns about their team playing two double-overtime games, but Koch feels that for his team, playing to overtime can be a good thing.
"I think that [overtime] gives some other guys an opportunity to play, I think that is a positive because we have a good, solid bench with a lot of depth," Koch said.
While the Minutemen have not had the type of start they would have hoped for, one of the positives has been the surprising play of the reserves, featuring players like Hess, Roswess, freshman Andrew Henshaw and freshman Bryant Craft.
Koch singled out Hess as having a great game Friday off the bench, in addition to playing a solid game yesterday when he was called to start.
Henshaw earned two starts this weekend and provided strong defense against Vermont. On one play against the Catamounts in the 25th minute, Henshaw knocked down the Vermont midfielder while stealing the ball, then made a pass up the field to start a break along the sidelines. It wasn't reflected in the box score, but those are the kind of plays coaches love to see.
Koch doesn't feel the veterans will be too slighted because they did not get the start.
"The guys who didn't start, who have been starting in the midfield still played a lot, whether they start or if they come off the bench they still get about the same amount of playing time, so it's not a big issue," Koch said.
Arguably the most promising young player on the team is sophomore midfielder Ben Arikian. Arikian started 25 out of 26 games last season and scored two goals in addition to notching a team-high six assists. This season he has scored or assisted on both game-winning goals in the Minutemen's two wins. He scored the golden goal in double overtime against Boston University back in August and assisted on Chris Brown's header in the Minutemen's home opener against Siena. He also led both team in shots (six) against the Catamounts yesterday.
Having a strong core of young players is important, but it is up to the veteran players to provide leadership and help the younger players by getting them familiar with the team's strategies and being a strong example of what to look up to.
"Well, they are taking after us, what we do, we show them things, I mean we are their role models, if you want to call it that, and hopefully they will pick it up as the [Atlantic 10 matches] come along," said senior midfielder Mike DeSantis.
Scott Feldman can be reached at sfeldman@student.umass.edu.
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