ABOVE: Pictured are: Angel Sanchez, Brody Deuel, Caleb Meyer, Charles Neusch, Christian Selbrade, Dammon Castillo, Dani Castillo, Dominic Earhart, Ethan Pockrus, Juan Hernandez-Picornio, Leonardo Fortin, Luis Martin, Marco Morales, Marco Reyes, Rafael Becerra, Vaughn Thompson, Coach Brady Meyer. Photo courtesy of Seifred Portrait Design.

FAIRMONT – The Fairmont boys soccer team has a winning attitude heading into this season. Coming off of a 6-9-3 season last year, the team has a promising and aggressive approach to reach the goals they have set for themselves in 2024.

With only one returning varsity player, Ethan Pockrus, there is a slight lack of experience on the squad. According to Fairmont boys soccer head coach Brady Meyer, new varsity additions along with the experience is coming together nicely.

“Our captains have done a fantastic job this year, especially welcoming some of the younger players in,” Meyer said. “Angel Sanchez has done a phenomenal job of getting the team to work together and holding the players accountable. Ethan [Pockrus], he’s our organizer, basically. He does make sure that everything’s getting done when it needs to be, helping out.

“Then we have Dominic [Earhart] or Dom, he’s kind of like the, I would say the spirit of the team. He’s helping motivate the guys, again, helping hold them accountable and helping teach them and work them through things.”

As practice has continued the team has continued to grow in both chemistry and experience the team has continued to grow and improve. This has contributed to the team’s confidence heading into their first game.

“We set goals to have a winning season this year, to set the tone early this season with our first few games,” Meyer said. “We want to be pretty aggressive in our goals to win those first few games. Our third goal for this season too was to become a better soccer family. We’re trying to help build our program, become a better program overall. we feel that if we are all together on the same page, we work together as a family, we will build a better, successful program.”

The new players joining the squad have been well received by the returning players. According to Meyer the younger members are trying to find their role on the team and the older players have been very accepting and welcoming.

“The older kids have been very accepting and welcoming, so it’s good,” Meyer said. “We’re still early in the season. Some of these players have not played with each other during the spring season or anything. So it’s just getting together to work together, get that chemistry going.”

The team plans to maintain an aggressive play style and scoring early and often is the key to offsetting the teams lack of defensive depth.

“We’re definitely gonna be more aggressive offensively this season,” Meyer said. “We have a lot of assets up on top as forwards that I think will help open up the game for us a lot. This year, defensively, we have experienced players, but we don’t have a lot of depth there.”

This year’s schedule is a new one for the team with not knowing what to expect early on the team plans to open strong and take care of themselves as the season goes on.

Meyer said despite the unknowns, he’s treating this season as a sprint.

“It’s a sprint for the season, because we have several weeks where we have three or more games in a week,” he said. “So really been preaching … how to recover, how to take care of yourselves, too, as well, the players, so that they can recover and be ready to play and perform at their best.”

The Fairmont boys soccer team is set to open the season against Albert Lea at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Albert Lea Hammer Complex.