By Chris O’Grady
Just five matches into the season, the University of Louisville men’s soccer team – ranked No. 12 nationally in the latest NCAA poll – has had a lot of things go very well for them.
In four wins over North Carolina State University, Fordham University, Appalachian State University and Missouri State University, and a scoreless tie with No. 11 Duke University, the Cardinals have been dominant, outscoring opponents 11-2.
“I think the success we knew we’d have is starting to show itself,” said junior forward Colin Rolfe, who had two goals and two assists through the first five matches. “It’s been a strong start, like we needed.”
The Cards have been clicking on all cylinders, receiving contributions from both the old and the new players on the team. Redshirt senior defenseman Charlie Campbell has anchored the Cardinals’ defense, while freshman midfielder Dylan Mares is second only to Rolfe on the team in scoring, with two goals and one assist.
“Charlie Campbell has really stepped up, as have a lot of guys,” said head coach Ken Lolla. “I really like the depth that we have found on this team. We have a lot of guys here that could start on a lot of good Division I teams that come off our bench and do a great job.”
The Cards’ contributions seem to come from every direction. Junior forward Nick Deleon and sophomore defender Brock Granger joined the team this year, as transfers from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. These transfers followed the decision of UNLV head coach Mario Sanchez to leave his post at UNLV to be an assistant for Lolla at U of L. Both players have already made an impact on the team, starting in all but one game. In addition to the contributions from new team members, the play of redshirt junior goalkeeper Andre Boudreaux and senior midfielder J.T. Murray has paced the Cards thus far. Murray was recently named Big East Defender of the Week for the week of Sept. 13.
Several players believe the teamwork of the group will be their greatest strength in moving forward.
“Our team camaraderie is absolutely our biggest strength,” said sophomore forward Buck Tufty. “We are such a tight-knit group and we’re led in a common direction by Ken Lolla. I feel really good about where we’re at.”
Redshirt junior midfielder Kenney Walker agreed, saying the team’s style of play comes from this camaraderie.
“We just really play together well,” said Walker. “Our goal is always to keep possession, to the best of our ability, and just play hard for each other. It’s always a big team effort.”
Before the Cards will head into conference play in search of a Big East title, they have a matchup against No. 9 Ohio State University at Cardinal Park on Sept. 22. Rolfe noted the importance of this game, as well as the chance to play a top-ranked opponent.
“It’s definitely a big game for us,” said Rolfe. “It’s one of our harder games for sure. But as long as we stay within ourselves and find our spaces, we’ll do well.”
While tough tests are still ahead, the team sees its early success as an indicator they will be able to withstand the rigors of the difficult schedule.
“We train hard every day and we work harder than anybody, so we think we can beat anybody in the country,” said Tufty, who believes that the Cardinals are in better shape than any other team in the country.Lolla is more reserved, noting that the Cards need to take each game one at a time and prepare for each individually, not get caught up looking ahead. This dedication to the little things seems to have rubbed off on players.
“We show up to work hard every day in practice and treat each game like it’s the Big East championship,” said Walker. “Right now, it’s a building process. We can see ourselves doing some really good things.”
The Cardinals’ tough schedule takes them to Providence University to begin conference play on Sept. 25, before a road game against the University of Kentucky on Sept. 29 in Lexington. The team will then return home to face No. 20 ranked and preseason Big East favorite St. John’s University on Oct. 2 at Cardinal Park.
“I think it’s about focus,” said Rolfe about navigating the tough schedule. “But Coach Lolla is amazing at keeping us on the right track. We’re looking for a national championship.”
