VOORHEESVILLE — The Voorheesville boys’ soccer team is looking to build on last year’s success, though they’ll do it a little differently.
"We’ve had a successful pre-season," said the first-year coach, Mike Young. "I’ve installed a new system that’s different than the past. We’ve made progress in our scrimmages."

Last year, the Blackbirds won the Section II Class B championship but lost in the regional competition to Westhill of the Syracuse region.

With six seniors on this year’s team and seven starters returning, the Blackbirds might not have liked the change in the system.
"I guess some people would be reluctant to change something that works," Young said. "But I re-looked at the personnel that I had and they have started to get used to it. We are going to an attacking style with high defensive pressure. If they do it right, it works. And they are starting to buy into that system."

The Blackbird players also bought into the system because they want to accomplish things that they just missed last year, said the new coach.
"I think we have some unfinished business," Young said. "Just by the way we were knocked out of the state tournament. We won sectionals, but that was not good enough. We’re also a team on the rise."

Easy transition

Young said that his transition from coaching junior varsity to the top level of high school has been made easy.
"The seniors are the only group that I haven’t coached," Young said. "The transition has been very easy. I’ve coached the j.v. the past two years and was an assistant with the varsity. I’ve worked with the seniors."

There are 19 players on this year’s team and the team is loaded with juniors. There are two sophomores and two freshmen on the team as well.
"I don’t like to bring underclassmen up," Young said. "But, when we started out, I saw that they could play at that level."

The Blackbirds will have experience at both ends of the field. Greg Klopfer returns to lead the offense and Tom Cavanaugh returns to play goalie for the Blackbirds. Matt Belgiovine and Lee Dudek also return on defense and Greg Jones returns in the midfield.
"Greg Klopfer is not a secret," Young said. "He’s scored between 17 and 20 goals a year. I’ve been impressed with Greg Jones this pre-season. He’s controlled the midfield more. We have two seniors back on defense and our starting goalkeeper. The seniors all have a leadership role."

The players off the bench can also fill spots and get some minutes during the season.
"We only have three or four that don’t have varsity experience," Young said.

High hopes

That experience will motivate them to the next step, Young said. "The seniors let one go last year," the coach said. "The team we lost to, I believe, was in the finals. We’re happy we won the sectionals but we want to go further. We also want to win the Colonial Council for the first time. We want to go to states and come out as Class B champs."

The Blackbirds open the season next Thursday at home against Albany Academy. Voorheesville then will play at Ravena on Monday and at Schalmont on Wednesday.
"We start off with a bang," Young said.