With the semester winding down and students going home for break, EMU athletic teams have started to finish their fall practice and go into break with individual plans for the winter. For the EMU men’s soccer team, this fall was different than any other year. Normally they would have been playing a regular season during this time, but due to COVID-19, they only practiced all fall to prepare themselves to play a season in the spring. While it was under different circumstances than any other year, they still had fun with it and found a way to improve all of Fall. 

For sophomore Dallas Organek, it was a good feeling to finally get back to practicing as a full team again. “It felt great, seeing them again and playing with the team was a joy,” Organek said.  With practices being different than normal this year, it took some time for the players to get acquainted with different practices. “It took a little while to get used to it, but once we adjusted, it was really good,” Organek said. Unlike some other teams on campus, the men’s soccer team was allowed to be all together on the field practicing, rather than practicing in different groups.

“We all trained at the same time, but usually we were in different locations on the field with different coaches,” junior David Smith said. Smith is looking forward to the competitive season coming up. “Getting to go hard against people besides my teammates is what I’m really looking forward to,” Smith said. 

This final season means a lot to senior Jamie Corzo. Despite all the uncertainty, Corzo stayed prepared throughout the summer and this past semester. “I prepared myself for this season through individual, small group, and team sessions with a U-23 team in my area. When I wasn’t practicing with them, I was going to local fields with a couple friends of mine and we’d practice on things we needed to work on as well as some fitness and conditioning since we were fully expecting to have a season until August came,” Corzo said. Corzo also has some goals that he is looking to achieve this spring season. “Other than having an impact on the team, I’d like to focus on getting points and assists for my team. I’d also like to finish with a winning record with only having eight games this season, especially since it’s going to be my last collegiate season playing soccer,” Corzo said.

The men’s soccer team is excited to get back and get competing this spring.