Salesianum coach Scott Mosier has turned Salesianum into the most dominant high school boys soccer program of the state over the last decade.
It's hard to argue against the Sals, who won in 2002 right off the bat in Mosier's first year, then won five straight from 2004 to 2008, coming within one year of tying St. Mark's for the all-time record of six straight.
But this year, Mosier's team finds itself in unfamiliar territory. They are not entering the season as defending champions. Middletown defeated Sallies in last year's state tournament semifinals, and Caravel topped Middletown for the 2009 state championship.
If nothing else, it makes the Sals hungrier this year and a formidable program to contend with as it seeks its 10th state title. Mosier could see it right out of the gate of preseason – a little more drive, a little more focus.
“You're never more motivated to get better than after a loss,” Mosier said during a preseason practice at the Hockessin Soccer Club. “So, you can talk until you're blue in the face after a win about, ‘We almost lost’ or ‘We could have lost’ and try to come up with all kinds of coaching philosophies to try to make them get better. But, the boys know that they still won at the end of the day.
“This team is hungrier than, frankly, the last five years we won it,” he said. “A lot that is the personality of the team. We don't have any clear superstars, which in past years we've had. This year, we have a really young group of hardworking guys. I'm excited. I really am.”
Sallies senior captains Connor Norat of Brandywine Hundred, Tommy Brooks of Glen Mills, Pa. and Jonathan Burke of Middletown said the Sals definitely took things for granted last year.
“We thought we were better than everyone,” said Brooks, a 5-foot-10 center back “But you can’t take teams lightly. You’ve just got to go out and play hard.”
“This year, we’re really excited,” said Burke, a 5-foot-7 right back. “We have a young group of guys. We’re getting fit and coming together as a team and we’re going to get back what we lost.”
To that end, Mosier and his staff have changed the team’s style and tactics.
“Last year, we were big and open with lots of one-on-ones and just very spread out,” he said. “There was no transition in our game. We didn’t get behind the ball and then try to attack. We relied on a couple guys to win the one-on-one battles. This year, it’s night and day. When we attack, all 11 guys attack. When we defend, everybody defends. It’s much more of a team philosophy. Last year was not that way. We attacked with four or five and defended with four or five and didn’t move too much.”
