UTRGV Head Coach Bryheem Hancock talks with his team after practice Aug. 11 at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex. Sebastian Espino/Vaquero Radio
After a season of development and sacrifice, the team now has a conference, a deeper roster and a chance to compete for something tangible.
With nine players returning and 16 new players joining the roster, head coach Raheem Hancock said the experience from last season could help shape this year’s team.
“They’ve suffered for a year,” Hancock said.
Hancock said the returning players used last season to develop despite not having a conference championship to compete for. Now, the team is focused on building chemistry and taking the season one game at a time.
Junior Tobias Buch, an international business junior from Denmark, was with the team during the spring and said he has seen the group grow since.
“I feel like we have a lot of new players coming in that I’m very confident and we’ll perform on the season,” Buch said.
Buch said the team’s style also brings a different challenge compared to the soccer he is used to playing in Denmark.
While Buch is focused on performing whenever he steps on the pitch, transfer junior Alexander Mink said the team has even bigger goals for the season.
“We’re trying to win it,” Mink said.
Mink said the team wants to compete for the conference and give itself a chance to reach the national tournament. He also has individual goals, including earning first-team all-conference honors.
“Individually, I want to do my own accolades as first team in the conference,” Mink said.
For the players returning from last season, this year is an opportunity to turn that experience into results.
This is Sebastian Espino for Vaquero Radio.
