The Bradley Braves soccer team is trading the freezing cold end of the season in November for a freezing cold start of the season in February to begin the 2021 campaign.
After 15 months without a competitive game, the Braves will head into their shortened season young and inexperienced.
Valparaiso’s elimination of its men’s soccer program means the Missouri Valley Conference now only has five schools fielding men’s soccer teams. Couple that with one non-conference game and the Braves will only take to the pitch nine times before the Valley tournament in April.
With only eight upperclassmen, the young team will look toward veterans like graduate student and preseason all-conference pick Gerit Wintermeyer.
“It takes a lot of communication on and off the field,” Wintermeyer said. “There’s a lot of new things to have to learn on the field … We play really different soccer than what they might be used to … We play ‘winning soccer,’ not necessarily good looking soccer … it’s a mentality that those guys need to understand.”
Returning only four of the 2019 roster’s regular starters this season, the newcomers found themselves competing against teammates for a starting position.
“It’s been as competitive [of] a preseason for starting positions as [it’s] been in a long long time,” head coach Jim DeRose said. “That’s what we’re really excited about … It’s youthful and inexperienced, but it’s competitive.”
DeRose also hopes to take advantage of this lack of experience by using it as an opportunity to retool some of his players in new positions. For instance, he plans to put sophomore Rasmus Smidtslund in the midfield instead of on defense.
According to him, it’s that versatility that will make up for their young roster this season.
“We’re a more athletic and faster team than we were because of some of the newcomers,” DeRose said. “We’ve got some really strong versatility in guys that can play in multiple positions … We’re going to be allowed to press as a defending team higher up the field, and I think we’re going to be able to create more turnovers in the attacking half.”
Picked to finish fourth in the preseason polls, the Braves opened up their season with a 3-2 win over Eastern Illinois for their only Division-I non-conference matchup on Wednesday. This leaves little time to work before they play the top two preseason picks in the conference, Missouri State on Feb. 14 and Loyola on Feb. 20.
Meanwhile, heading into the shortened season having only played scrimmage games was tough for the team’s focus this off-season. It’s a challenge DeRose hasn’t dealt with in his over 20 years as head coach.
“I don’t know [what we need to work on],” DeRose said. “Never before in my 25 years will I have to use real games to learn and figure things out with the team … We’re going to need a game or two or three just to have tape to work on things.”
Looking ahead, redshirt junior Jack Dunn thinks the upperclassmen can help provide a sense of direction.
“It’s simple; it’s leadership,” Dunn said. “It’s making sure they know their roles and leading from the front.”
This shortened season leaves the Braves little room for error in their 10 games. DeRose thinks staying adaptable will be a key to making the conference tournament come April.
“Really trying to get their playing strengths on the positions of the field where we think it’s the best impact,” DeRose said. “If we’re short somewhere … maybe we can fill those roles with versatility and flexibility. Maybe we can play a couple of guys over the course of the game there.”
After so much uncertainty about his playing status this season, Wintermeyer is simply excited to get back on the field for one last season as a Brave.
“It’s a different component when the lights go on,” Wintermeyer said. “It’s 7 p.m. at night and everything is on the line … [I’m] really fortunate, because [I] got granted another semester of soccer.”
