Led by Head Coach Nick Crowley, the Becker Bulldog boys soccer team has been working hard to refine their skills and keep their competitive edge this season.

Crowley coached four years before coming to Becker; this is his third year and his second in charge of the program. Damien Klug and Ian Dosedel are his assistant varsity coaches; Klug is also the middle school coach and Dosedel the JV coach.

The team is comprised of 29 student athletes in grades 9-12. They began practicing Aug. 12 in the mornings, but have since moved their practices to 6:30 to 8 p.m.

“Our defensive line was made up of seniors last year, so we’re trying to put that puzzle together this year,” said Crowley. “It will be a tough season. It’s a tougher conference than the one we’ve been in the past few years. We will continue to be competitive, but it’s going to require a lot more effort, focus and determination from the team in order to maintain that.”

“More numbers could help, but it’s also fun working with a small squad of guys which will also give the ninth graders a chance to gain experience and support the core group of juniors and seniors we have on the team.”

Crowley expressed confidence that his junior and senior players know what it takes to be successful.

“Senior Captains Kyle Cleaver, Noah Fakhreddine and Parker Lahr have impressed me with their leadership on the team and the sacrifices they’ve made to push the young squad of guys further,” he said. “I’m looking forward to watching these guys dominate on the field this year. I’m also expecting big things from juniors Max Rositas, Carson Makkarral, Riley Boyer and Ray Lyon.”

“This is a core group of guys that helped us achieve 10 wins last year.”

The team played its first game of the season Aug. 23, losing 2-0 against Providence Academy. Their second match saw them in Zimmerman where they lost 1-0 in poor, rainy conditions. A third loss was felt Tuesday, when they competed against Delano and were beat 5-0.

The team’s next meet is a home meet Saturday against Cambridge-Isanti.