The Niskayuna boys soccer team got hot at the right time last season. As a result, the Silver Warriors won the Section II, Class AA title.
In order for them to do that again this year, the Silver Warriors will have to rely on a new crop of players following the graduation of several key seniors including Jake Johnson, Tyler Gansfuss and goaltender Luke Citrinitti.
There’s an expectation when you’re a champion, and the younger guys want to keep it going, said second-year head coach Jeffrey Ormsbee.
Ormsbee got his first official look at his team Monday when the Silver Warriors held their first practice behind Niskayuna High School.
`The first three days, we’ve got to sort out where our varsity players are from our JV players,` said Ormsbee.
The coaching staff also has to get the players back in soccer shape after they spent much of the summer dodging raindrops from a series of storms that drenched the region.
`A lot of guys, their touch (on the ball) is a little bit off, a little bit heavy,` said Ormsbee. `So, we have to go over a lot of technical stuff before we start getting into strategy.“