Soccer team looks to bounce back
Daniel “Ireland” Cory is shown practicing on the field located east of the Child Development Center and Lab School. So far, the OCCC soccer team has won one and lost four. The next game is scheduled to be played Nov. 4 and the location has not been confirmed at this time.
Photo by Carrie Cronk
The club soccer team has been on a two-week layoff but is gearing up for more action on Nov. 4.
OCCC planned to host the Oklahoma State University Soccer Club but a change of plans might be in order. OCCC’s soccer field may not be game-ready, said Coach K.B. Yeboah.
Because of that, Yeboah said, he is hopeful Rose State College will agree to host the final game.
OCCC has played at Rose State at least twice this year.
Practice this semester has been from 4:30 to 7 p.m., four days a week, across the street from the Child Development Center and Lab School, but with the lack of players present at practice [team practices] have been called off.
Yeboah said he is at a loss as to why the soccer players aren’t attending practice.
“Typically ,we have a small number of players who make it to the practices every day, and the numbers usually average between six to eight players,” Yeboah said.
The game is played with 11 members of each team on the field.
Players who have been attending have worked on their stamina, a problem that has plagued this year’s club.
It’s never too soon to look to spring’s games, Yeboah said. He believes many of the current players will join the team in the spring.
OCCC is too far out of the standings for the playoffs but still has a chance to pull out a win in the next game.
Yeboah said, part of the problem this season was poor execution. The team never “jelled,” he said, meaning they never played together and, as a result, had issues on the field.
“We have no chemistry,” Yeboah said.
Some players think communication has been a problem this season.
Team member Bianca Lopez said, “I think all of us need to get together and set one day of the week [for practice].”
She said this season was fun even though OCCC was handed some bad losses.
She looks forward to playing next year and encouraging more of her friends to participate.
Yeboah said only four teams in the conference will make it to the regional tournament hosted by OSU.
The official ending of the season is Nov. 18, but could change if there are make-up games. He said the games will be played unless the weather interferes but that call is decided by the officials.
Staff Writer John Savage can be reached at StaffWriter2@occc.edu.
