Indians' soccer swarmed with seniors

Based on experience alone, the Indian River varsity soccer team would seem to stand the best chance at making a run for the conference title – if not the state title, as well. The 22-man roster consists of 13 seniors, for whom this year is their last to push for the Delaware state championship.

“Our senior year means everything to us,” said defensive mid Caleb Buchler, who picked up where his brother Jake left off last year as captain of the varsity team. “That’s all we’re worried about,” Caleb Buchler added, “winning the state championship.” This year, Caleb shares the captain role with goalkeeper Kevin Rowe and attacking mid Harvey Webb.

Preseason play, including play days at River Soccer Club and Kirkwood Soccer Club, have paired the Indians against powerhouses across the region, but both times, Indian River found their stride, proving that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the Henlopen South.

“We used the preseason to look at our formation,” said Webb, “but the important thing is that we keep the same intensity up.”

“In the past,” noted Rowe, “it was easy for guys to say, ‘Oh, we’ll get it next year,’ if we [came up short in the postseason]. But, for a lot of us, there is no ‘next year.’ Our performance at the play days is a prime example of why we have to come out strong.”

The Indians will start up the fall season hosting a Salesianum team on Saturday, Sept. 11, at 4 p.m., mere hours after the upstate private Catholic school opens up against Cape Henlopen on Friday evening.

“If there was ever a year to beat Salesianum,” said Indian River head coach Steve Kilby, “this is it. Our guys need to understand that. We’re really pounding home the idea of staying focused. It may sound cliché, but we’re asking our seniors, ‘How bad do you want it? How serious are you?’”

Although Salesianum lost much of its talent this year to last spring’s graduation, the Indians know the program all too well. Last year, the Indians gave up one of their three regular-season losses in the opener there in Hockessin, and the year prior, Sally’s knocked off Kilby’s squad in the semifinal round of the state tournament.

“We’ve definitely been humbled by Sally’s before,” said Caleb Buchler. “We can’t afford to come out flat.”

Preseason and practices are coming together for Kilby, who has been focused on determining the best field formation and positioning for this year’s soccer team to execute.

“We’re really analyzing what system we are going to play with,” he said. “We will likely put out a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 and go from there. We still have the ability to transition from our midfield.”

Looking beyond the 2010 season, rebuilding will definitely be a priority for Kilby after this year’s senior class moves on.

“This has been an incredible journey for me,” he said. “I have coached these guys on the U10 and U11 travel teams. We’ve had guys like Cameron [Travalini], Peter [Mais], Chris [Connover] and Zach [Izzo] come through the program, and these guys have a history at the club, but I’ve never had a group this size on the varsity team. I just want them to understand that this is their chance.”