The BVNW boys varsity soccer team’s season ended last year after a loss in the substate championship. The team, which featured ten seniors, ended the season with a record of 10-5-3. Head coach Brian Pollack said he is hoping to continue off of last season’s success with this year’s team that has seven new players in the starting lineup.

“We had a great year last year with a winning record and a good run in the postseason. Unfortunately, we lost ten seniors, so there’s going to be a lot of new players this year but I think they are up for the challenge,” Pollack said. “They all have played at a very high level, whether that was on JV or for their club team, so I don’t think they are going to shy away from the moment.” 

The Huskies kick off their season on Tuesday, playing on the road at Rockhurst. Rockhurst is 4-1 on the season, and while Pollack said Rockhurst is at an advantage with already having played five games, Northwest beat them last year, leading Pollack to believe it will be a good game. 

“They are at an absolute advantage having five games under their belts, playing the game at home, and us playing our first game with a limited number of practices,” Pollack said. 

“But, we’ve got a really really united group who is going to put their best game forward. We know Rockhurst is tough, they are every year. But I feel confident in our experience with our juniors and seniors that they can provide leadership so that we’re prepared to go out and win for the second year in a row.”

Despite expecting to play Blue Valley North for their first game, senior captain Will Vancrum said the team is motivated and prepared to start the season strong, no matter who the competition is. 

“It’s unfortunate because the team was expecting to play North for our first game which is always a very fun game because they are our rival, but all the work we put in these past couple of weeks has us ready for this game [against Rockhurst],” Vancrum said. “I also think we’ll be more motivated than they are because it is our first game, but it is important that we stay focused and don’t look at last year’s win as an excuse to not play our hardest.”

Pollack said with a new team it is essential for them to have strong communication, especially in their first game.

“I think communication is going to be one of the key factors to us winning or losing. Being that it is the first game, it obviously won’t be perfect, but as long as we can positively communicate as a team, and come out, especially in those first 10 minutes, with intensity we should do well,” Pollack said.

Adding on to what Pollack said, Vancrum said it is important that the team works together and stays focused if they want to win. As a captain, Vancrum said he needs to lead by example and make sure to stay positive if anything bad happens during the game.

“The main thing for us is going to be our ability to stay focused. If we can go out there for 90 minutes and play our absolute hardest the results will show. I feel like it’s my job as a captain to stay focused and work hard so the players on the team will do the same,” Vancrum said.