PANORA — The second season of boys soccer at Panorama will see the Panthers take the pitch with a slew of new faces.
Six seniors graduated from a team that finished 2-8 last year. Most of non-seniors on the roster return, and they will be joined by a half-dozen or more players from AC/GC, who will play with Panorama as part of a soccer-only (including the girls teams) sharing agreement.
For head coach Matt Fronapfel’s team to improve they must do the obvious: yield fewer goals while scoring much more often. The Panthers scored just nine times last year while allowing 47 scores from the opposition.
Kyle Cogil and Connor McCarthy are the lead choices to defend the net, while sophomore Trent Hambleton will play a key role in organizing the attack.
Fronapfel noted “the team has lost much of its size, so we will have to try and keep the focus on ball possession and speed, because a real physical game is not want we want.”
The coach said he was hopeful a string of five consecutive home dates to open the season will help jump start a team that will be composed of many new faces in most positions.
The Panthers entertain Tri-Center Thursday in a boys-only set. The next four matches (all at home) are coed bills, with the girls game played first and the boys to begin at approximately 7 p.m. Des Moines Hoover visits April 1 and East Sac County April 4, with home dates slated April 11 and 16 against Grandview Christian and Logan-Magnolia, respectively.
