Panther soccer teams pounce into new season, hungry for wins

Photo Courtesy of Larry Newman

Soccer season is officially underway, and the Panthers have returned to the pitch with some unfinished business and a new desire to take home the gold. With new coaches and players looking to embark on their first seasons at Chapman, that dream might just become a reality.

The men's team is currently 1-1-1 in the season and just secured their first win against the Life Pacific Warriors with a score of 5-0 on Wednesday evening. During the match, the Panthers attempted 37 shots, 16 of which were on target, and the Warriors attempted merely four, with only one on target. 

In addition, the five goal scorers were sophomore business administration major Evan White, freshman business major Oliver Adams, sophomore business finance major Reed Leidlein, junior business finance major Leo Wells and sophomore business real estate major Diego Perez.

A concern for the team last season was their inability to be consistent offensively, though this year, head coach Eddie Carrillo believes his midfield might be evolving. 

“If we can get a little more midfield scoring, that's huge for us,” Carrillo said.

In the 5-0 victory, White scored his fourth goal of the season after just three contests, and has already surpassed his total of three goals from last year. He leads the team in goals currently.

Carrillo also commented that their newest recruits are bringing more depth to the team. 

“I believe we have one of the deepest and strongest benches we’ve had in a long time,” Carrillo said.

Similarly, senior captain and business administration major Alex Glynn claimed that this group is more connected and motivated than ever. With hopes of competing at the top of the conference this year, leadership will play a vital role for the Panthers.

Glynn and Cormac Galvin, senior business administration major and the second team captain, have been friends since their freshman year and are now key members of the squad.

“A lot of what we do is leading by example and showing that we're not above anyone else,” Galvin said. 

Overall, strengthening the squad's defense and scoring are the main focuses for Carrillo and his team. Their Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) season starts on Wednesday, away at La Verne University. 

As for the women’s team, they have started with no losses across their first three games. At the end of August, they took down the Pacific University Boxers and Lewis & Clark University with scores of 2-1 and 3-0, respectively. 

Photo Courtesy of Larry Newman

In the match against the Boxers, senior strategic and corporate communications major Jenna Urrabazo put the score at 1-0 with an assist from freshman health sciences major Delaney Kitchens. Senior business administration major Jana Komposch buried one in the net during the second half and led the Panthers to their victory.

The sophomore health science majors Nikki Zokaei and Alexis Sweeney led Chapman to another triumph in Oregon with two goals for Zokaei and one for Sweeney. 

These wins hold a little more sentiment since the women's program is now under the reign of coach TJ Perez, who was welcomed onto the coaching staff earlier this year.

The Chapman women’s team had been led by Courtney Calderon for 21 years until she decided to hand over the program's fate to a new voice on the sidelines.

“The biggest successes will be how we go through everything together, and our biggest focus is getting our culture to where we want it to be,” Perez said. “Everything we do is geared toward helping the group.”

The new coach explained that communication and “getting to know one another” will be one of the Panthers' greatest assets this season. Team chemistry is what can make or break a team, and that may be a defining quality for this squad.

When asked what culture meant to Perez, he responded that it all relates to the team motto — “All in for us, ours and we.”

It signifies that all individual efforts translate back to the wellness and efficiency of the group as a whole. 

Graduate curriculum and instruction major and one of the three captains, Serena Lovell, stated that coach Perez is fond of communication and organization. He has established trust in this new team and has made the effort to give them the attention they deserve. 

“He’s coached us in a way that we are motivated to be there,” Lovell said.

Lovell's position as a captain also allows her to lead by example, similar to Glynn and Galvin of the men's team. She uplifts those who put in the work, and those who may need an extra push.

The women's team will play on their home field against The Masters University on Wednesday, before their first SCIAC game away against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday.