Men's Soccer Captains lead by example
| Published: 10/10/2012 |
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It’s 13 games into the MSOE men’s soccer season and there is a buzz around the team. Where was this goal poaching cheetah, Jordan Werner (Bolingbrook, Ill. / Montini Catholic H.S.), last year? Who is this freshman, Logan Andryk (Hartland, Wis. / Marquette, WI), with more gas in his engine than a 1967 Ford F100? But before those guys began dazzling fans and twisting up defenses, MSOE captain’s junior Patrick Gathof (Beloit, Wis. / Beloit Memorial) and senior Brad Meissner (Hartland, Wis. / Arrowhead) were busy building the foundation, by holding off-season and pre-season practices, for a winning campaign. With a 10-3 start, it’s quite apparent, that their preparation paid off.
Like many great partnerships, Meissner and Gathof, complement each other perfectly. Gathof is as vocal, as Meissner is quiet. What they both share, though, is an insatiable desire to win. MSOE Head Coach, Jimmy Banks, on his two captains, “It’s a good pairing. Meissner is a no-nonsense guy and is willing to compete in every practice and game. He leads by example which carries over to other teammates. Patrick is a vocal leader and players look to him for support and advice.”
Meissner’s road to captainship has been anything but smooth. After making the Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) All Freshmen Team, Meissner hit a setback in the form of a torn ACL. The promising underclassman had to watch his sophomore season from the sidelines. His junior season, Meissner played wide back and some central midfielder. This year, the senior is anchoring down the team as center back, highlighting his ability to make a variety of passes, win aerial balls and use his strength in one versus one challenges.
Gathof, who was second team ALL NAC as a sophomore, is a tireless worker who plays a variety of roles for the Raiders. In his young MSOE career he has seen time at holding midfielder, attacking midfielder, wide midfielder and center forward. Gathof, consistent with his personality, embraces doing his part for the team, “I love being in the best position for the team. It is such a good feeling knowing that I am trusted in multiple positions.”
Both captains cherish their MSOE experience as student athletes and think they are on a special team with a special Head Coach. Meissner on Coach Banks, “Coach Banks is great to play for. He really knows his stuff and helps the individual players and the team get better and improve our skills. Coach Banks also does very well at keeping the balance between soccer and school.” Gathof concurred, “Coach Banks always has a game plan and knows exactly what we need to do to win games. He is very good at figuring out the other teams and encourages us to exploit their weaknesses. He knows when to be tough on us, but also knows when to be laid back and be funny about situations.”
As for the prospects for the remainder of the season, the captain’s remain focused on the task at hand. Gathof knows the day to day approach to success is crucial, “I expect our team to compete in every game for the rest of the season. Win or lose, I expect our team to be tenacious and stick it out until the very end. I think we are bonding very well as a team on and off the field and that will help us achieve our season goals.” Meissner knows the goal is to challenge for a conference title, “The two years I have been healthy and played soccer and MSOE, we have gotten to the finals and come up short to Dominican. This year I want to finally get through that last challenge.”
MSOE is poised face some of its toughest NAC opponents in the last third of the season including: Madison Edgewood, Concordia of Wisconsin and conference powerhouse, Dominican University. With Meissner and Gathof leading the team and a formidable lineup this MSOE team is ready for every challenge.
