2010 Schedule | CatamounTV Webcasts | Ticket Info | Men's Soccer Photos
CatamounTV sat down with Vermont men's soccer head coach Jesse Cormier, as well as senior midfielder
Patrick Alonis and sophomore defender
Sean Sweeney to talk about the 2010 season. Click on the image above to hear more from Coach Cormier, Alonis and Sweeney and read a Q&A with Coach Cormier below.
The Vermont men's soccer team kicks off the 2010 campaign on September 1 hosting preseason No. 13-ranked Stanford at 4 p.m. at Centennial Field.
Q: The 2010 squad has an extremely youthful look with 20 underclassmen, how will you go about creating team chemistry with the upperclassmen and what are you looking for in the leadership of the team?
A: The team chemistry has been very good so far. Guys are really open to working for each other and understanding the importance of team. Our leadership, and Kyle (Luetkehans) specifically, have done a great job so far.
Q: Despite the team's record last year nine of the losses were by one goal. Has the team matured and what have they learned from being in all of the close games?
A: The team got to taste failure and disappointment last season as we took a step backward. However, we feel we needed to go through that to move forward. We now have a greater appreciation for what we have and the little things a team and individuals need to do to be successful.
Q: The team showed it could play with some top teams, posting draws against Portland, UMass and Memphis last season, how will that carry over into this season?
A: The bigger programs on our schedule are easy to rise for and compete with because guys want to prove themselves against the best. The big difference is changing our approach to all our opponents, be it number one team in the country or the last place team. It doesn’t matter where the team is ranked, what matters is our daily approach in training and how we translate that mentality to all of our games.
Q: What is your message for this year's team, what are the goals this season?
A: Our goals are to compete to succeed in every game we play in. We are looking to extend our season and take it as far as possible, so our attitude and mentality will reflect that regardless of our opponent or situation. Even though we are young, we believe we have the squad and staff to make things happen in all of our games and hopefully play deep into November.
Q: What are the strengths and weaknesses for this year's team?
A: Our squad strength, our depth, our hunger to improve, and the attitude to be back in the hunt are our greatest strengths. Our weakness is our youth and lack of experience at this level. We may make some mistakes along the way, but it is the learning from those mistakes that will be most important.
Q: Is there anyone who has shown great improvement since last season?
A: Captain Kyle Luetkehans has shown to be a very effective leader and has galvanized energy around the "team" concept. Teddy Vallee and Jordan Smith have also been catalysts in our attack.
Q: What does your large freshmen class bring to the squad?
A: They are a lively, enthusiastic group with passion and pride. They won the team wiffle ball game in the bottom of the ninth to win 15-14 after being down 11-2. They never give up and will bring a lot of positive energy to the program.
Q: How will you replace Tom Critz in net after he played every minute last season?
A: As I say with all graduating seniors, they’re irreplaceable. Critzey was a staple for this program and a player with ambition and great will. He left an indelible mark here. It will be up to David Ramada and Xan Rousselle to influence the goalkeeping area. They will help our backline get clean sheets and build confidence this season.