PINEVILLE – If fans have trouble recognizing the Louisiana College men's soccer team this season, they shouldn't feel ashamed. The Wildcats are, with very few exceptions, a brand new team.
As of last Saturday's Alumni Game, the annual kickoff to the soccer season, LC boasted a roster of 21 men, 18 of whom are new to the program and six of whom have transferred to the Pineville college from junior colleges or larger schools.
“I am extremely excited to see what we have in store this season,” LC men's soccer coach Craig Harwell said. “From what I've seen in practice, we've got a good, cohesive unit that is building on the fact that pretty much everybody is new.”
So many new faces on a team might be construed as a negative at many schools, but for a program that posted just one win in 2009, new blood equals new hope and loftier goals for the coming campaign, which begins with a two-game road trip to Jackson, Miss., for games at Millsaps (Sept. 1) and Belhaven (Sept. 2).
“There are two ways to look at it,” Harwell said. “One is that we are very young and inexperienced. The other is that we are a team that is drawing together around a common goal.”
That goal, said Nic Philpot (Pineville, La./Pineville HS) – who, along with Luke Brewer (Calhoun, La./Northeast Baptist HS) and Eric Post (Metarie, La./East Jefferson HS), accounts for all returning players – is to reach the American Southwest Conference tournament for the first time in school history.
“The ultimate goal is the conference tournament,” Philpot said. “That will certainly be a challenge, but I believe if we play to our potential we can accomplish that.”
“I think the most games we've ever won in a season in the history of soccer at LC is five games,” Brewer said. “I believe we will exceed that this year.”
But for late-game collapses in 2009, the latter goal might have already been accomplished. However, playing with a three-man bench for much of the year, last season's Wildcats fell short of even the five-game mark.
“Looking back, we were in a lot of those games,” Brewer, a sophomore midfielder, recalled. “The second half was always our problem. We'd just run out of gas. I think having 21 players will allow us to compete for 90 minutes every game.”
“It'll be nice to actually be able to sub players in,” Philpot, a sophomore defender, added. “Last year, we were a great first half team that got run to death.”
But the Wildcats haven't just added numbers, they've also added quality players.
Harwell expects big things from a variety of newcomers.
Freshman Collin Yammarino (Scott, La./Acadiana HS) will anchor the Wildcats' midfield along with transfer James Knight (Gautier, Miss./Gautier HS/Copiah-Lincoln CC).
Tyler Green (Gautier, Miss./Gautier HS/Copiah-Lincoln CC) and freshman Brennen Brasseaux (Monroe, La./River Oaks HS) have been added to the LC defense.
Anthony Lee (Mobile, Ala./Baker HS/South Alabama) and freshman Devin Metoyer (Natchitoches, La./Natchitoches Central HS) will figure heavily into the Wildcats' offensive attack.
“And those are just a few of the guys we have who can contribute,” Harwell said. “I believe this is a new era for LC men's soccer. This is a large team full of workhorses. They are out here every day trying to get better in every way. Technically, we're very strong. We can build around everyone.”


2010 Louisiana College Men's Soccer Roster
2010 Louisiana College Men's Soccer Schedule