Plenty of new faces, from coach to players, to lead Chi-Hi soccer

Last modified: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 9:54 AM CDT

Plenty of new faces, from coach to players, to lead Chi-Hi soccer

It’s going to be a fresh start for the Chippewa Falls boys soccer team this season.

The Cardinals are breaking in several new players and a new head coach in Ben Goeman for the 2008 season, which begins Saturday afternoon in Merrill.

Goeman takes over for Stan Williams, who resigned during the summer as both boys and girls soccer coach. This will be Goeman’s first varsity coaching job.

As for the team itself, the Cardinals have a handful of returning players such as Nate Hanson, Chris Facklam, Nate Simmons and Andrew Kilness.

“Each contributed significantly last season and we have high expectations for them again this season,” Goeman said.

The team has eight seniors, nine juniors and 15 sophomores. The program also seems to be very healthy as the school has two junior varsity teams. Because of the young roster, Goeman believes some of the younger players will get a shot at varsity playing time.

The Cardinals will need those younger players to step in immediately because of the staggering losses from last year.

Josh Prince, Jamie Krula, Martino Balsiger, Sam Welbourne and Charlie Welbourne all earned all-Big Rivers Conference honors in one form or another, and all of them are not on the team this season.

“These holes will be tough to fill, but the players have worked hard in the off-season and during captain’s practice this summer,” Goeman said.

It helps that a number of players have played on the Chippewa Strikers club soccer program over the summer, against competition from the Minnesota and Wisconsin youth soccer associations.

But the high school season gets going Saturday for the Cards, with their first conference match at 5 p.m. Tuesday against River Falls at Halmstad Field.

Goeman expects the Wildcats, among other teams, to be in the BRC picture this season.

“Eau Clare North, Eau Claire Memorial and Hudson will be tough this season with River Falls also being good,” he said. “We are very young and inexperienced. This year’s team will play hard and be competitive.

“Many players will have the opportunity to play and only time will tell how well we can compete in the Big Rivers Conference this year with North, Memorial and Hudson.”

The Cardinals again will be splitting time for their home games between Halmstad and Dorais fields. Chi-Hi plays the first of three games at Dorais Field at 7 p.m. Sept. 9 against North.