Back Line Eager to Post More Shutouts

A bittersweet ending to the 2021 season has served to inspire the Georgia Gwinnett College men’s soccer team in its preparations for this fall’s challenging campaign.

After all, while a 9-6-1 record might satisfy most teams, the Grizzlies have established higher expectations through the program’s first decade. Especially disappointing was the team’s performance in the final month a year ago, with four losses in the last six matches, including setbacks in the NAIA tournament’s Opening Round and the Continental Athletic Conference tournament.

Head Coach Steve DeCou simply states, “There’s clearly a higher standard for our program … We’re capable of doing so much more.”

And the mission for the 2022 season is to compete for the NAIA championship. (The farthest the program has achieved was a quarterfinal appearance in 2017.)

GGC is scheduled to open the upcoming campaign with road matches in the opening week of the season: at Reinhardt University (Georgia) on August 24 and at Bryan College (Tennessee) on August 27. The home opener comes on August 30 against Milligan University (Tennessee).

However, the competitive spirit is expected to be high throughout preseason practice from a deep roster filled with talented players – one of several improved aspects for the 2022 team.

The defense is a significant area for improvement after the team allowed 14 goals across 2021’s last six matches. On the positive were six shutouts in 16 matches and the fact that the unit has four seniors, including this year’s two captains.

A key returnee is 6-foot-3 center back Gianmaria Fiore, who missed the second half of 2021 – a fact that contributed to the 2021 team’s defensive challenges during October and the postseason.

Other key senior defensive players are Thomas Herwig, who started all 16 matches last season and returns for his third season; Aleksandar Racanovic, another third-year veteran who started 13 matches a year ago; and midfield wingback Juan Cruz Parisi Sitjar, who has been a key contributor for the team since 2018.

Junior Marco Panaccione scored one goal and provided an assist in his 14 starts last season, including 12 starts as another wingback.

Another asset for the 2022 team should be the height of its newcomers, with two players standing 6-foot-4: Sophomore Francesco Panaccione, Marco’s younger brother, and freshman Aidan Colquitt. Junior Augustin Lepoutre is a transfer from Lincoln College (Illinois) with collegiate experience to add depth, while classmate James Forster returns to the defensive unit after missing the 2021 campaign with an injury.

“As we assessed improvements from last year, we thought we needed to get one player with height. Instead, we were fortunate to bring in three defenders and several others at the midfield and forward lines with stature and playing experience. This will help us limit our opponents from scoring on set pieces while helping us to score goals as well,” noted DeCou.