After winning the State Championship last fall, the Westminster boys soccer team is back and ready to compete for another title. With a stunning record of 21-5 last year, they’re in it to win it again, starting off strong with three wins and only one loss so far. The overall talent of the team is evident. Coming off a successful championship run, the Cats are looking to carry that over into this season.

Although the Cats lost key players, seniors Caden Collison and Levi Weik to that championship team, they make up for it with the returning players. The returning players will train the new players in the ways of head coach Legters will provide the championship experience needed to succeed. Head coach Dan Legters knows that the loss of his 2 leading scores will affect his offense this year. However, Legters states “we have to figure out the right combination of personnel in order to maximize our offense with the players we have.” The Cats scored over 50 goals last season, so it will be hard to replace that success. But it is always about finding the right combination of people who will not only score, but who will also lead the team to victory. Just because the Cats lost some key players from previous years, doesn’t mean they are doomed. Coach Legters is expecting the upperclassman to step up and be leaders for the underclassmen, so they can start to build a strong starting foundation for the season to replace those seniors. The younger ones who have not had much experience with how the varsity teams run things might take more time to get into the groove, so this will play a vital part in the team’s success. Coming off of a state championship, Coach Legters speaks on his predictions for this year’s team: “We will be competitive. We will have a chance to battle for the district title. We will be pushed by better competition because we moved up a class and we’re in the champions league.” Going for back-to-back state championships is hard to do. It will be extremely hard for the Cats this year as they look to replace the seniors that they have lost. However, this is the perfect chance for some underclassmen to step up and prove themselves. Sophomore Rhys Kline who plays center mid for the Cats, when asked What it’s like to be a underclass men on varsity and how the leadership is coming off a state championship states, “It’s a good experience that not many people get to have, the upperclassmen on the team are good leaders, people to look up to and good role models. Everyone has a positive attitude and we all strive to make eachother better”. Rhys predicts that even with the loss of key players, the Cats will return to the state title game.  “We’re gonna make it out of districts and have a run in state, but it’s gonna be hard. So we’re gonna have to work and train hard.” The Cats have set a high standard for themselves this year coming off the state championship from last year, but it is expected for them to have an entertaining year. So, keep an eye out for the boys soccer team this year and get to a game if you can!