With 11 talented seniors headlining the roster, the Becker boys soccer team could be in line for a special season.

“This year our goal is to earn a conference championship. We have a lot of very talented players and a large group of seniors,” fifth year Head Coach Nick Crowley says. “We have some high expectations for the season – which includes a push for state. We know that it’ll take a lot of work, but everyone is on the same page.”

Crowley’s squad could be the most balanced Bulldog team in program history, as they have the offensive firepower to team with some excellent defenders.

“I think that we’ll be pretty balanced on both sides of the ball,” Crowley adds.

Three players who earned All-Conference honors a year ago return for the Bulldogs, including offensive superstar Micah Boyer and backline stalwarts Owen Kolbinger and Kyle Vogl.

Boyer and Kolbinger will serve as team captains, along with Brekken Klug.

“Boyer is returning as our leading goal scorer, having scored 25 goals last season, he is hoping to improve on that number,” Crowley says. “Klug is our rock in the midfield, he reads the game very well and will help keep our focus and shape during games, while

Kolbinger leads from the backline, and brings a lot of energy to the team.”

In addition to his All-Conference performers, Crowley also mentions a host of other players who will hold key roles for the Bulldogs, including backline player Hudson Romfo.

“We have a large group of seniors, so we’ll be relying on them a lot, but the addition of sophomore Erik Kyaw will be a great benefit on defense,” Crowley says.

While the conference and section titles are goals for the team, Crowley says his squad has many other smaller goals they will be focusing on during the season.

“We want to have more shutouts than last season, we want to score more goals than we concede, and we want to be above .500,” Crowley says, noting that last season they had one shutout, scored and conceded 54 goals each and ended the year 7-7-2 overall. “If we can fulfill our smaller goals, I think that will help with our bigger ones. And, of course, the boys want to have fun. So as long as we’re having fun, the rest will fall into place. “

 While the level of talent on the team is undeniable, Crowley continues to play the numbers game and is always looking for new players to give the sport a try. This year’s team is slightly larger than last year, as he has 22 kids out at the high school level and 12 from the middle school.

However, in the end, it will be the senior class that will decide how far the teams goes overall.

“I think it will be a very successful year for us - a lot of these athletes have been on the varsity squad for four years, they have been pushing themselves to be better and better each season,” Crowley says. “With 11 seniors in the squad, I think it will be a special season.”