Men’s Soccer Wins Season Opener After 14 Months Away From The Pitch

Keeping focus through a 14-month offseason is not easy. As frustrating as COVID-19 cancellations have been for Liberty’s men’s soccer team, however, the time off has been a rebuilding period that Liberty Coach Kelly Findley knew they needed. 

The Flames finally stepped back on the field Feb. 6, trouncing Belmont Abbey 4-0 in a game only added to the schedule five days before it was played. Heading into this season, however, the Flames were looking to improve on an abysmal 2019 season, which ended with a 5-13 win/loss record. After being outplayed for most of the season, Findley recognized they had to start out strong in order to compete this year. 

“We weren’t very good last season in 2019, so improving is going to be pretty easy,” Findley said. “We are hoping to be competing for the conference (ASUN) championship. We have divisions in the ASUN, in the north and the south. If we work hard, we are within two (to) three games of a conference championship and the NCAA tournament.”

It may be hard to think that a team can make a such a big turnaround, but this offseason wasn’t a typical offseason for them, with the 14-month gap from the end of last season to the start of this one serving as an unnaturally long training session. 

Beginning the process of rebuilding the squad, Findley focused on raising each player’s level of athleticism with weight-training sessions up to three days a week. 

“We also played a lot of intra-squad scrimmages, so we made a lot of mistakes that young players would make in those games, versus actual games that matter,” Findley said. “The pandemic was a blessing (in that sense) because of where we are at as a program. We were able to make up a lot of ground on our team methodology, the way we play and also chemistry.”

Finley is aware, however, that the pandemic has been a very difficult time for his players. He acknowledged they are in an important phase of life that is only further challenged by the pandemic.

“This has been very stressful for a lot of people,” Finley said. “Especially guys and girls in the younger age demographic, because you kind of have this plan for your life, and all of a sudden this (the pandemic) is a major left-turn. I think just giving the guys as many normal life moments as we could, letting them know there is more to life than just soccer … I think helping them have this growth mindset has been really key.”

With the unusual circumstances of this year, the Liberty Flames will also be playing their first spring season in history, but regardless of potential differences in weather, sophomore midfielder Seth Clark is looking forward to finally playing again. 

“It is a bit different, especially now – we have recently had a big dump of snow,” Clark said, referencing the abnormal amounts of snow in the Lynchburg area so far this winter. “I think conditions don’t bother us too much. We are just eager to get out there and play. Some away games might be different, especially when we head a bit up north. I’m pretty sure the boys and I don’t mind, as long as we are playing.”

Clark will be looking to expand on his promising freshman season. He tallied four assists and one goal, which helped him lead the team with six points and reach the Preseason ASUN All-Conference team as a true sophomore. Though he was grateful to receive the award, Clark knows that the team raising its performance levels this year is his ultimate goal. 

“It was obviously a good feeling,” Clark said. “I definitely still feel like I need to do more. Like I said, I don’t want to be too complacent at all.”

The Flames return to the field against Davidson College on Feb. 10.

Kevin Gora is a Sports Reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @kevgora.