It’s a team of new coaches, new faces, even new uniforms. The men’s soccer team, under new head coach Mike McGinty, stands out as the youngest squad in the Atlantic 10, yet still the favorites to take home the conference crown.
The roster includes 9 freshmen and 11 sophomores, while holding only six juniors and three seniors. But despite the lack of experience in the clubhouse, there is no lack of leadership.
James Dice and Jimmy Holmes have been around the Billiken soccer program for five years now. As fifth-year seniors, the two graduate students are the seasoned veterans of this squad.
“We always joke about how long we’ve been here,” says Holmes, a forward who has started to arise as the face of this team.
Holmes suffered a knee injury early in the season last year and was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA. Though he originally expected to graduate last December, Holmes instead decided to add a second major and stay on campus for another year.
“At first I was disappointed to be hurt,” added Holmes, “but now I see it as a great opportunity. I get to play one more year here, with such a good, young team.”
Holmes dealt with injuries in each of his previous four years at SLU, but had a particularly impressive sophomore season in 2007. That year, he scored in each of the Billikens’ final six games, including a game-winning goal against Temple.
This year, under a new coaching staff, Holmes understands his role could be just as important off the field.
“It’s a new style of practice, and a new style of play,” says Holmes about the Billikens’ new coaching staff. “But we couldn’t be happier about where the program is headed.”
Holmes is one of three seniors on this year’s roster, along with midfielders James Dice and Stephen Bartolon. Dice, too, is in his fifth year with the program.
As a starter last year, Dice proved impactful on both sides of the ball. He was an anchor in SLU’s defense throughout the season, but remained a regular scoring threat late in games.
Dice scored in each of SLU’s NCAA Tournament games last year, including a final-minute goal in the second round against Tulsa to send the game into overtime.
But Dice would be the first to say that the best days are ahead for SLU soccer.
“We have such a high level of excitement for this season because we are setting our goals very high,” says Dice.
“We have a pyramid of goals; if you do the things on the bottom then that will lead you to the top,” continues Dice. “At the bottom of the pyramid are character values like discipline, teamwork and leadership.”
It is those character values that the seniors hope to instill on their underclassmen teammates.
The team is loaded with freshmen and sophomores. Young standouts like Nick Maglasang, Alex
Sweetin and Jordan Wolff saw plenty of time on the pitch last year and will likely help carry the team on the field this year.
But carrying the team off the field will be those seniors. Holmes, Dice and Bartolon have been with the program and have seen it develop, and now are helping to carry it through a major transition.
“Losing [Coach] Donigan was a shock at first,” says Dice. “We waited and waited and finally got Coach McGinty, and it has really been a breath of fresh air.”
McGinty started working with the team this August. As an assistant coach at Virginia last year, McGinty was known for his successful recruiting and his crucial role in developing the Cavaliers’ nationally-recognized soccer program.
Virginia won the NCAA National Championship in men’s soccer last season.
“We have a new attitude this year,” says Dice. “We see it as a new era of soccer, and I think it’s going to be a good one.”
