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Mt. Pleasant soccer looking for improvements
Of note
• Floyd Snyder is in his fifth season as coach of the Mt. Pleasant boys soccer team.
• Snyder is assisted by Kelsey Landy, Joe Fearer and Matthew Remaley.
• The Vikings are back in action Thursday at Derry.
• North Allegheny advances to 1st title game since 2006
• Top-seeded Neshannock tops Frazier in semifinals
• Greensburg Salem hopes to finish off West Allegheny in semifinals
• PIAA notebook: Vincentian coach’s appeal denied
By Jason Black
Published: Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 12:20 a.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The 2012 boys soccer season hasn't started the way Mt. Pleasant had hoped it would. The Vikings quickly have found themselves in a hole after dropping their first six games.
However, according to coach Floyd Snyder, some growing pains for the young squad certainly were expected, and he is hoping for one thing whenever Mt. Pleasant takes the field for practice or a game.
“We always just want to see improvement anytime we step on the pitch,” Snyder said. “And most times, we are seeing it, and we're not afraid to go against the big boys.”
One of Mt. Pleasant's biggest problems early on has been finding a way to produce offensively. Through six games, the Vikings have scored just three goals and have been shut out in three straight games. Still, there are signs of life when it comes to the offense.
“We're still a young team, but we're starting to possess the ball a lot more, and we're feeling our way through,” Snyder said.
Mt. Pleasant's main offensive weapon is senior forward John Anys.
“He's big and strong and he has a powerful shot,” Snyder said. “He led us in goals last year with eight, so he was about 50 percent of our offense.”
Sophomore midfielder Zachary D'Amico and sophomore forward Zackary Bednar are returning starters who also will be asked to chip in offensively.
The defense is anchored by juniors Tyler Kolar and Billy Groft. Both have performed well.
“Our outside fullbacks are running hard,” Snyder said. “They give everything they have.”
In goal, the Vikings are relying on freshman Robbie Bailey.
“He's showing a lot more confidence than most freshmen,” Snyder said. “He's making some big saves for us.”
For Mt. Pleasant, a slow start doesn't have to define its season. The Vikings have a lot of work to do in order to get back into the playoff hunt, but Snyder believes that his team has the ability to make strides.
“I think if we can just score a few more goals, we can get on a roll,” Snyder said.
Jason Black is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at jblack@tribweb.com or 724-626-3534.
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