By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The 2021 season did not live up to expectations for the New Covenant Academy Warriors.
“Last year was a tough pill to swallow, ending our season in the district tournament,” said coach Eric Crain, who enters his 16th year at NCA. “I felt we were better than what we showed. We will need to ensure we are focused going into the season’s final stretch.”
The Warriors finished the 2021 season with a 13-8 overall record and a first-round loss to Fair Grove in the Class 1 District 6 semifinals.
NCA will have some big shoes to fill this season with the loss of Spencer Chevalier, Wade Van Riessen and Kenny Barstead.
• Spencer Chevalier, center midfielder/forward – Scored 19 goals with 4 assists, while earning first-team all-state, all-region and first-team all-district honors. Now playing at Evangel University. “He was a leader to our younger players in the center mid, and when it was time, we moved him up, and he did a great job working with the forwards,” Crain said.
• Wade Van Riessen, defender – Named to the all-region and all-district first teams. “Wade was a captain and did a tremendous job leading the defense. For most of the season, we just ran three in the back.”
• Kenny Barstead, goalkeeper – “Kenny was our Keeper. It is always hard to lose your starting keeper.”
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Crain does have six seniors returning who he says, “will either start or get a lot of playing time.”
“They are great leaders on and off the pitch,” Crain said. “They bring a level of competitiveness that will be fun to watch and see how they develop the younger players.”
• Seth Smothers – “A defender that started for us the last three years; has tons of soccer experience.”
• Carson Rice – “He is a role player that can play in multiple positions and works hard.”
• Landon Cummings – “Starter and role player that can play in multiple positions but finds a lot of time in the midfield.”
• Elijah Davis – “A defender that started for us toward the end of the season and did a tremendous job in the big moments.”
• Paxson Krug – “Paxson came off the bench last year in the midfield. His hard work during the spring and summer will pay off for him.”
• Levi Nichols – “He has also started the last three years as an outside mid; he knows his position and has excellent soccer knowledge.”
• Jackson McRoberts, junior – “He is a multiple sport athlete (soccer, basketball, golf). He’s strong on the ball, fast, and has a solid shot to pull the trigger early. We moved him up to a forward midseason, which helped us with scoring.”
• Trey Farquhar, sophomore – “He came off the bench last year and will see a lot of playing time this year. He has a good knowledge of the game and the style we want to play. He has put the time in this summer, and it will pay off for us.”
Last year, Crain had a couple of freshmen he was excited about and said they did not disappoint.
• Dalton Anderson, sophomore – “He’s a leader, an intelligent player with great touch and speed,” Crain said. “I look forward to seeing what he can do. He will move up as a forward.”
• Zane Winslow, sophomore – “He is competitive and works well with everyone. He has a great understanding of the game, and he sees the field with significant control. He will stay in the center mid.”
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“These two ran our center mids as freshmen,” Crain said. “Spencer, our senior, worked with them in the center mid position, and when we were able to move Spencer up and give Zane and Dalton control of the midfield, it was fun to watch.”
Junior Grayson Bartlotti and freshman Cole Stennett will look to make an impact this season.
• Grayson Bartlotti – “Grayson transferred in last year and was ineligible,” Crain said. “He spent much of his time next to me during the game, seeing the field from our coaches’ perspective. He will be a great addition to the center mid with Zane.”
• Cole Stennett – “Cole is competitive, works hard and has soccer knowledge. He will be a great addition to the team.”
NCA will participate in a jamboree hosted by Greenwood at Cooper Soccer Complex, with Marshfield and Logan-Rogersville before opening the season at home against Bolivar on Aug. 26.
And Crain expects his Warriors to be competitive again this season.
“We have excellent team chemistry; they understand what needs to be done to have success,” Crain said. “We have spent a lot of time together as a group getting a lot of touches on the ball and seeing the field. As always, our numbers (are a challenge). We get about halfway through the season and deal with injuries. The most important thing is ensuring we don’t become complacent with our effort.”
