Heading into his third season leading the Spring Hill College men’s soccer team, Head Coach Chris Leonardi sat down for a Q&A about the 2023 season.
What was the big takeaway from last season?
“We recruited this season with a different attitude and mindset in mind compared to last season. These guys have come in very motivated. The freshmen that have come in over the past few days have really done well. I’m looking forward to seeing the preseason games next week. It will be a good chance to see who’s catching on, but it’s early, so I don’t want to jump to conclusions.”
What are some adjustments going into the season?
“There’s a lot of freshmen, it’s their first taste of college soccer, two games in three days. All sorts of different things. The first weekend we play Lynn University and Carson-Newman at home, so that’s going to be exciting and challenging right away. I think we have a deeper bench and roster this year. I could start a ton of different guys in the starting 11 in my head right now. I’m excited to see who is going to fit in, it’s going to take more than 11 [players] to be successful.”
What are you looking for your returners to bring?
“They’ve been through the trenches, they saw what happened last year, how tough it is. I’m not going to put a lot of pressure on these guys. They just need to work to put themselves in as pillars of the starting 11. Just, because they are returning doesn’t mean that they are starting 11 and they know that. The best players will play, if I think Izan [Quesada Leal] and Darri [Gardarsson] are going to help us win football games then they will earn a lot of minutes. Right now, I just want them to enjoy themselves, I’m not going to put any pressure on these guys to lead the team. I have a lot of transfers that are older and more mature. So, it doesn’t matter if they were here last year or not, I need maturity, guys that take responsibility and the communication has already been better. They are committed to making this program better, not just talking about it, but actually doing it.”
Who are you seeing emerge as a leader on the team?
“Alberto [Aletta] has been very vocal on and off the field and I knew he would be when I brought him in. He’s played two years of collegiate soccer, I think he is invested and wants to do the right things. Obviously, we’re just going to have to get on the same page. So far, I think he’s done a good job with that. In goal, we have Martin [Gomez] and Isa [Murati], so that’s going to be a good battle. All of the guys that I think have been doing well have been Celso [Juberias], he had a good few days and has been active and Cristian [Bregu] has been very vocal, he’s trying to get on the ball a lot. It’s early, there’s a few local kids that had some good stuff going on at practice. Quinn [Harper] has been good over the last few days. It’s very early, but we’ll see. It’s going to take more than one leader to make this team strong.”
What are some goals for the team this season?
“Getting to the Gulf South Conference tournament is obviously one. Finishing in the top eight of the conference has been something we’ve done here the last two years since I’ve been here. We want to go as high as possible in the rankings, I also know it is very hard to do so. Our conference is one of the best in the country, but finishing in the top eight to give us a chance to go to the conference tournament and cause a ruckus. After that, we don’t want to get too high or low after winning or losing games.”
What are you most excited for going into the season?
“Just seeing our team perform. The freshman, you kind of get an idea of some of the adjustments that are ahead for them, but the transfers are really the ones that you think – are they really going to adjust right away? Some of these kids look like they’re ready to go, some of them like the speed of play and the physicality. So, I’m really excited to see how these newcomers adjust as quick as possible. Some guys come in and keep going like there’s no difference for them. I think we have a few freshmen that may do that as well. It’s a brand-new year with a brand-new mentality for us.”
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