Road trip improves player morale, team starts ‘new season’ after break

The Missouri Southern men’s soccer team took its three game win streak on the road over the past weekend, and was greeted by defeat.

Kiley Cirillo, head coach of Missouri Southern men’s soccer, said the problem was more of an emotional one than a technical one, though.

“Emotionally, I think that we were taxed,” Cirillo said.

“We were on an emotional high after three wins in a row, and we went in there expecting to win.”

“We planned on winning at least one of those games, and when you loose both of them, that’s pretty frustrating,” said senior forward Lance Juett.

But even with the loss, there comes a ray of hope. The road trip did give the team a chance to bond.

“Any time you go on a road trip, you get a little closer as a team,” Cirillo said.

The men’s soccer team has a 12-day break until their next game, and that is something that the team is looking forward to.

“I think that it gives the players a chance to reflect,” Cirillo said.

“I think it will help us a lot,” Juett said.

Although the team is 3-8 on the year, there have been some improvements since the start of the team.

“I think emotionally they are right there, even though our record doesn’t show it,” Cirillo said.

After the break, the team will start what Cirillo refers to as a “new season,” facing off against five teams in a two-week time span, beginning with the Owls of William Woods University Tuesday in Joplin.