By David Paulsen
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
With a new coach and the highest turnout for the boys’ squad this fall, the Union Grove High School boys’ soccer team hopes to earn some respect this season.
Last year, the Broncos were winless in 23 games, finished last (eighth) in the Southern Lakes Conference, and were routed in the first round of the WIAA playoffs by Kenosha Tremper.
“That team is long gone,” noted new head coach Sean Jung. “Anyone who scheduled us for an ‘easy win’ will get anything but this year.
“This season, we expect to win. The attitude, the culture, everything has changed,” Jung emphasized.
Jung, though, is not naïve, recognizing the team will be hard pressed to win 10 or more games this season, yet that is the team’s goal.
“Our goals this year are very generic, yet inspiring,” Jung added. “This year we plan to earn respect; to no longer be a pushover for anyone, to defend, tackle, and attack like no Union Grove team ever has.”
Of the 40 boys (47 came out for the team) which made either the varsity or junior varsity squad, six are seniors, eight are juniors, 17 are sophomores and nine are freshmen.
“Virtually every quality piece from 2011 is returning,” Jung said, noting there are 16 returning letterwinners.
Among the quality pieces back from last year are senior co-captain Adam Filz, an honorable mention All SLC player last year, and junior goalkeeper Eddie Neubauer, a two-year varsity starter.
“We also have a super-frosh Ian Kramer who made the team and will likely start in our back line,” Jung added.
Sharing the captain duties with Filz is sophomore center/defender Andy Hatch.
“Both are freakish athletes, incredibly fast, strong and fit,” Jung said of Filz and Hatch.
According to Jung, the team’s best “pure” soccer players are Danny Rivera (defense), Nick Jaworski (forward) and Alfredo Martin (midfielder), all sophomores.
“We will rely heavily on our sophomore class this year,” Jung said.
“Our youth will play the majority of our minutes, but inexperience being our greatest weakness, their resolve and determination after a brutal 2011 is our greatest strength,” Jung added. “I’ve never seen a more motivated group of players top to bottom.”
Jung indicated that practices have been very intense. The boys have been doing timed two-mile runs, 40-meter dashes, 100-meter dashes and other tests that will gauge the team’s progress and work ethic from week to week.
“There will be more talented teams than us this year, but few harder working teams,” Jung said.
Jung sees Badger, Burlington, Delavan-Darien, Elkhorn and Westosha Central as the most solid SLC squads this year.
Jung has been coaching soccer 13-14 years. He started in Illinois coaching club teams, then began teaching high school mathematics in Wisconsin and has coached high school teams ever since. He coached at New Berlin West from 2001-2003, in Grayslake, IL, from 2004-2009, and has been the JV coach at UGHS since 2010.
Andy Del Ponte, who is new to UGHS, is Jung’s assistant and JV coach. Goalkeeper coach is Jeff Green, who has been at UGHS for eight years.
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