BENTONVILLE — Youth will definitely be served when it comes to this year’s Bentonville boys soccer team.
Freshmen and sophomores account for more than half of the roster, and it leaves coach Michael Devaney unsure of what the team’s makeup will be this spring.
“No earthly idea,” Devaney said. “We have a different dynamic to the group. We lost some quality players to graduations, and now we’re trying to find some replacements.
Schedule
Bentonville Tigers
Date Opponent Time
Feb. 19 Springdale Har-Ber# 7 p.m.
Feb. 26 Fort Smith Southside 7 p.m.
March 1-2 NWA Showcase TBA
March 6 at Springdale High 7 p.m.
March 8-9 at FS Southside Invitational TBA
March 13 Fayetteville& 7:30 p.m.
March 29 Springdale Har-Ber* 7 p.m.
April 9 Rogers High* 7 p.m.
April 12 at Rogers Heritage* 7 p.m.
April 16 at Siloam Springs* 8 p.m.
April 19 Springdale High* 7 p.m.
April 26 at Van Buren* 7 p.m.
May 3 at Fayettevlle* 7 p.m.
May 9-11 Class 7A State Tournament TBA
'#'-benefit match
'&'-match at Sugar Creek Soccer Complex
'*'-7A/6A-West Conference match
“I think the one thing that stands out about this group is how young we are. That’s going to be the biggest challenge for us: the inexperience of some of these players that will be filling those roles.”
The influx of younger, inexperienced players doesn’t mean Bentonville faces a rebuilding mode this spring. In fact, Devaney is quick to dispel any notion of that taking place.
Several of the sophomores saw action on last year’s team, when the Tigers reached the Class 7A State Tournament semifinals. One of the freshmen presents a stiff challenge to a returning starter for playing time.
“They have experience, but it’s limited experience,” Devaney said. “We’re having to replace players who started for four years with players who started for one year.
“If we could get off to a strong start, it would probably give those young players some confidence. But even that is going to be a challenge.”
Devaney will depend heavily on senior midfielders Nathan Wunschel and Hector Ramos as far as creativity, leadership and goal scoring. Both players saw extensive time on the field last season and will be the keys to the Tigers’ success, particularly in earlier matches.
Junior Tolliver Davis will see a more expanded role as he moves from a midfielder to a forward slot. Josh Howard, one of eight sophomores on the roster, has enjoyed an excellent preseason and should be considered one to watch.
Strong defensive play will continue to be Bentonville’s forte, and sophomore defenders Bennett Moehring and Ryan Bray are expected to contribute. Senior Dillon Wade returns as goalkeeper, but he is being strongly pushed by freshman Ben Barron for playing time.
“When we’ve had some success in this conference, our defensive record has been pretty good,” Devaney said. “We haven’t scored a ton of goals, but we’ve made it difficult for teams to score against us. That’s going to be a key for us again.
“We always want to play attractive soccer — keep the ball on the floor and knock it around. We may have to change the formation a little bit to take advantage of our players’ talents, but our style of play will always be the same.”