2010-2011 Team

If the Westerners can improve on the 2009 season, everyone should be excited about the prospects. The men’s soccer program enters its third season of play under the inaugural soccer coach, Charles Long. Last season the squad not only went 16-5, but would eventually earn a 12th place ranking in the NJCAA national polls for men’s soccer. The team won the area championship, defeating Hill College 3-1 in the finals. In district play, WTC would defeat Northern Oklahoma 3-2 before falling to Tyler Junior College, 4-3 in the district championship game. Tyler would go on to win the NJCAA men’s national soccer championship in 2009. The Westerners sport a 34-8 record during their first two years of intercollegiate play.

Coach Long does have to replace key losses in personnel at Center/Midfield as Chris Dwyer (Midwestern University in Wichita Falls, TX) and Bill Jeffries (Lyon College in Batesville, AK) are gone. Last year’s goalkeepers, David Fisher (McMurry College in Abilene, TX) and Gerardo Acero, must also be replaced.

The men’s soccer team will have a large group of returning players, as 16 players are back from last year’s squad. Key returners for the Westerners include midfielders Billy Forbes (Turk & Caicos Islands) and Igor Dias (Brazil).

The new squad will be tested as they travel to Waxahachie, Texas to open the season with a scrimmage against four year institution Southwest Assemblies of God University on August 19th.  “We have increased the strength of our schedule and are playing more four year schools,” assessed Long “We want to get our players exposed to more four year colleges to help in the recruiting process.”