Hawks’ soccer team looking to reload

Shawano Community High School boys soccer coach Bob Croschere is hoping his team can reload for this season.

The Hawks (15-5-1, 6-1 Bay Conference) lost a ton of talent to graduation, including a trio of first-team All-Bay Conference selections in Garret Schlise, Zach Dickmann and Sawyer Buck, as well as second-team all-conference selection Chance VanDyck and honorable mention goalie Michael Meisner.

Also gone is honorable mention defender Zack Sousek, a senior who chose to play football this year.

The 2013 group propelled Shawano to a second-place finish in the Bay Conference, finishing tied with Hortonville in the regular season before losing 3-0 to the Polar Bears in the Bay Conference tournament’s championship game.

“We have more youth than experience, I guess,” Croschere said. “I hate to call it a rebuilding year, but that’s what it’s kind of looking like after losing so much last year.”

With the clock ticking ahead of the Hawks’ season opener Tuesday at Pulaski, Croschere will have this week to find replacements from a group that saw the field a lot at the junior varsity level.

“With 14 seniors last year, there were a lot of underclassmen on junior varsity, getting experience,” Croschere said. “And hopefully that pays off this year. We’re going to get through at least Saturday, when we get to our scrimmage, to see how everybody performs. We’ll see what happens.”

More than just evaluating talent, Croschere will be looking for how the players fit together on the team.

“We’re basically looking to fit pieces in everywhere,” Croschere said. “See what happens when we play together. I know some of the players and what they did last year, but as far as together? No clue.”

Three players — senior Braden Mueller, sophomore Michael Teeter and senior Zachary Wolterman — played significant minutes on varsity last year and are likely to play expanded roles on the team this year.

How those players come together will also decide the style of play the Hawks will have this season. With so many new faces, the team has been testing new things in practice.

“A little different formation possibly,” Croschere said. “We’re trying out some different things. We’ll see how that goes.”

Croschere’s goal for the team is to remain competitive in the Bay Conference.

“I’m still thinking we will be at least in the middle of the pack of the conference,” Croschere said. “Fourth, maybe third if we can really push. Outside of conference we play some tough games. We’ll figure that out when we get there.”

While Hortonville is no longer an obstacle after exiting the Bay Conference this season, Croschere expects West De Pere to push for a Bay title this year.

“West De Pere is strong every year,” Croschere said. “They kind of set the bar for everything.”