FALL SPORTS PREVIEW: Goldsboro boys' soccer

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on August 17, 2017 6:00 AM

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By RUDY COGGINS

rcoggins@newsargus.com

Goldsboro made a major stride on the soccer pitch last fall.

The Cougars won the Eastern Carolina 2-A title outright -- the first in program history -- behind the leadership of eight seniors.

The odds to repeat that feat?

Difficult, at best.

Just three starters return and Goldsboro has been realigned into the East Central 2-A league. That includes Wallace-Rose Hill, which has played for the last four 1-A state championships -- and won three. James Kenan was the east runner-up to W-RH in 2016.

County rival Spring Creek has seven Carolina 1-A titles to its credit.

Clinton claimed the last two Four County 1-A/2-A crowns in 2015-16.

"Those are four powerhouse teams right there in one conference," said second-year GHS head coach Chad Lewis. "It's going to make us better as a team, by far, but it's going to make it harder for us as far as making the playoffs with the new seeding process and Maxpreps rankings.

"It's going to be a big mountain to climb. That's for sure."

Indeed.

More than 80 percent of the Cougars' offense is gone.

The backbone is senior goalkeeper Chandler Patrick, who won nine games and posted a 1.84 goals-against-average between the pipes a year ago. Davis wants Patrick to display his commanding leadership and communication skills in the midfield, but will have to leave him in the net for now.

Also back are junior midfielders Collin Williams and Connor Pate.

The remainder of the team is composed of either freshmen and sophomores. Lewis anticipates starting either four or five freshmen during the early part of Goldsboro's non-conference schedule.

He also broke out extra conditioning drills.

"I've been trying to get them in shape," Lewis said. "They were so far out of shape, I don't think anybody has gotten off of the couch all summer.

"In order to be successful this year, they're going to have to play as a single unit and know that there can't be any selfishness on the field at all. If so, we're going to get run off the field."

Previous Lewis-coached teams have relied on a possession-style attack that uses the width of the field and delivers the ball over the top of the defense to speedy strikers.

The possession strategy won't change.

But the offense, instead, must build from the back and create scoring opportunities. Turnovers and lack of communication could spell trouble for a youthful team that needs to stay within striking distance to have a chance to win at the end of the game.

"We've got a whole lot of midfielders and no forwards, so over the course of the year I'm going to try to convert some midfield possession players into more of a striker," Lewis said. "We've got above-average speed, not superior, not excellent but we're not slow. I think the stamina at the beginning (of the season) is going to hurt us more than anything.

"Once the season goes on, hopefully someone is going to step up."