Following up last year’s league and zone double, the Canmore Collegiate High School Crusaders boys soccer team are hard at work in preseason training before Wednesday’s (May 1) home opener.
With the departure of several key senior players and an influx of younger talent, the Crusaders might look a lot different on the pitch this year, but should still turn a few heads once the season gets going.
Coach Gavin Peacock stepped aside from training last Thursday (April 18) and spoke to the Outlook about the team’s progress so far and noted some areas to work on in order to deliver the same success as last season.
“What we try do with them is skill work and a bit of fitness,” the coach said about preseason training. “Even if some guys don’t make the squad, hopefully they get some soccer training and learn a few things.
“Usually it takes a while to get used to the size of the pitch,” he added regarding the transition from practicing indoors to outdoors. “Everything has gotten bigger and your whole vision has to change.”
As of last week, the total squad number was hovering around 25 players, however, that number will be trimmed to 20 before the season begins as per league rules. Scrimmages during training are where players earn their spots.
“It gives us a chance to look at them in the big game situation, move players around and see what positions suit players best,” said Peacock. “By the time we kick off the season we’ll have an idea of what the best starting 11 is.”
The former Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers midfielder also pointed out that, both on and off the field, the squad has shown lots of character and a willingness to learn and contribute to the team.
“This is the nicest bunch of guys in terms of attitude,” he explained. “There’s not one guy with any bad attitude. They’ve all done fantastic so that makes it hard to cut anyone.
“The principle is to develop character in young men through sport,” he noted. “We want to win and we take it with a professional attitude. More than that, we kind of instill character principles in these young men that take them beyond this.”
Tactically, the Crusaders are planning to use a straight 4-4-2 formation (four defenders, four midfielders and two strikers) as opposed to the more technical systems involving five midfielders and one striker or three strikers and three midfielders.
“That’s the best for us and easiest for guys to get a grip of,” the coach said. “It’s nice and simple and works well for us. We’ve got the players to play that system.
“When you play five across the back or three in the midfield with wing-backs, you’ve got to have quite a lot of intelligence to know those positions.”
Ahead of next week’s match against Foothills Composite, which kicks off at Millennium Park in Canmore at 4:30 p.m., the Crusaders will continue a preseason that may include a friendly against local men’s team Canmore United.
“That’s really been good for our boys in the past,” said coach Gary Anderson. “The speed that the men play at and the physical aspect. Because of that match, usually at the beginning of the season, we have a tendency to win most of the physical battles.”
Overall, the outlook for this year’s team is positive despite some expectations based on results from last season.
“I guess people would say that because we won it last year,” Peacock added, “but it’s a totally different squad. I think what we’ll put out is a good soccer playing team.”
