By Daniel Herrick Sports Editor
The Kalamazoo College men’s soccer team has a secret. And a box.
The box serves as a source of team pride brought to the players by first-year head coach Lumumba Shabazz. What’s in the box? Now that’s the secret.
According to David Morris ’14, the contents of the box will change throughout the year, but they will always define the team in some way. Whatever they may be, the players are definitely electrified by them.
The soccer team’s secret box will be filled with secret items to encourage team pride. Photo by Dacid Morris
“We’re excited about this first season with the new coach and new facilities,” Morris said. “This should prove to be a new era in K sports, especially with men’s soccer. We’re rallying around this new-found hype. We’re using the box and its contents to make this hype a more tangible thing.”
Intrigued? Look for the box to be appearing in various places around campus, as well as on the bench at every men’s soccer home game for the remainder of the year.
The box made its first on-field appearance this past Saturday as the Hornets took the Calvin College Knights in their home-opener for K’s Soccer Celebration Day.
The day started out as one to remember for the Hornets, with the game ball being parachuted in prior to kickoff and former K coaching great Hardy Fuchs participating in a ceremonial kickoff with the team captains. But it ended in Calvin’s favor, as they were able to knock off the Hornet’s 5-0.
The Knights scored their first goal in the 41st minute and never looked back. They added another in the first half before notching three more in the second to complete their victory. While a five-goal loss at home was disheartening, the Hornets took something away from the defeat.
“We fought hard for 60 minutes, but championship teams play a full 90,” said Jory Finkelberg K’15. “The game was closer than the scoreboard. We’re going to keep getting better and the next time we play them, the result should look different.”
Last Wednesday, Sept. 26, the Hornets traveled to Olivet to face the nationally-ranked number eight Olivet Comets. It took 101 minutes before Olivet’s Cory Werner-Hoskins was able to separate the two teams. He scored the lone goal as the game finished in Olivet’s favor, 1-0.
The losses to Calvin and Olivet dropped the Hornets’ MIAA record to 3–2. Their league record places them third in the standings behind the Comets and the Knights. If the season ended today, K would be in position to play in the MIAA postseason tournament with a trip to the NCAA tournament at stake.
But there is a lot of season left. The Hornets will look to right the ship on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at Albion College, which has yet to win a league game.
