A couple different media outlets covered the CU men’s soccer team’s trip to Peru in May. The trip, a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of the players, coaches, and people close to the program, has paved the way for another successful season of Creighton soccer.
It isn’t just the competition Bob Warming and his team faced in Peru that will prepare them for a season that is starting with top-five rankings and high expectations. The practice before the trip, and the team’s bonding during it, are as important to the outcome of Creighton’s season this year as the matches themselves (seen below in the photo gallery; images courtesy of Bill Sinovic).
Before Warming and his team headed south, they were allowed 10 days of practice by the NCAA. Obviously the training during these 10 days was important, but senior Seth Sinvoic learned something new about his teammates during those grueling workouts. “I think the biggest thing that came out of those 10 days was how competitive our team is,” he said. “Everyone came into this ready to work.”
Bryon Dacy, another of the team’s seniors, said that one of the biggest changes he saw in the team during the training was on the personal level. “We enjoyed the time and became closer as friends,” Dacy said. “The friendships we create as a team make it better for us on the field. It makes every person want to work even harder for each other.
Sinovic added that while it would have been easy to be comfortable with the amount of success the team had last year, everyone has done everything necessary to get better, beginning with the training for Peru.
And it was during this training that new strength and conditioning coach Zach Duval made his presence felt on the pitch. “We hadn’t done too much lifting prior to Zach’s arrival, but when he came in that became one of the main focuses of our team,” Sinovic said.
Dacy added that the team made great strides in the latter half of last school year, preparing for their spring games, and that the results were showcased during the Jays’ 1-0 win against Maryland in April — a rematch of their Elite Eight game from a few months previous. “He has been a great addition to our team. He is working us as hard as he can to get us to our goal, which is a national championship,” Dacy said.
“One of the big issues in our loss to Maryland last year was our lack of athleticism against them,” Sinovic said. “Having Zach on our staff should make that one of our strengths next year, and it definitely was in Peru.”
Athleticism can do a lot of things for a team but, as Sinovic points out, a team is only as good as its chemistry. The trip to Peru was great for bonding, he said, and it is something he looks to continue focusing on as one of the senior leaders on this year’s team. “Obviously getting as fit as possible prior to the season is a big focus, but I really think during preseason is the best time to build team chemistry,” he said. “You can have as many great players as possible, but without good chemistry it is tough to win.”.