After completing a whirl-wind string of three games in five days, the Missouri Southern Lions men’s soccer team, is feeling good about themselves.

“Obviously, a win is a ‘fix-all’ for the next three games,” said Kiley Cirillo, head men’s soccer coach.

“If you are 0-6, and you win one, then you’re set for the next two games. So it’s a solve all.”

The players seem to agree with their head coach.

“Losing kind of gets everybody down,” said Nick Brusca, senior defender. “But when you win a few games, everybody lifts up their heads and starts believing in themselves.”

Even with the recent string of success, Cirillo is quick to point out that isn’t why he is here.

“I’m not in it for the win, but it is nice,” Cirillo said.

“I’m in it to see guys develop as players, and to see if I can take the knowledge that was given to me and put it back into somebody else.”

The Lions will face two more stiff tests when they travel to Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, Oct. 10, and to Northeastern State University Tahlequah, Okla., on Sunday.

NSU and MSU, ranked 16 and 22 respectively in the latest Coaches Association poll, will challenge Southern.

But the players seem confident they can come out of this trip on the positive side of things.

“If we can come out with a couple of wins, then I think that we can look at ourselves and see where we are as opposed to other teams in the country,” Brusca said.

“I think that we can win both games if we play our game and keep possession of the ball,” Zalewski said.

“But if we let them control how we play, then they are going to be tough games.”

After the Lions return from their trip, they will have 12 days to prepare for a challenge against William Woods University from Fulton, Mo., Oct. 24 in Joplin.