Photo courtesy of Madison Bowden
Our mens varsity soccer team is navigating a season of change. After graduating ten seniors last year, the team has been forced to rebuild both their lineup and their chemistry, replacing the graduated seniors with ten freshmen.
That youthfulness brought some early growing pains with it, but head coach Scott Bosgraf believes the team has started to come together in a way that reflects last year. “I think we’ve really hit our stride,” he said. “We had two conference wins two weeks ago where we didn’t give up a single goal.”
Despite the roster turnover, Bosgraf still sees the same spirit of intensity and brotherhood that carried the team to a 12–3–3 record last year. “We have a lot of attacking players who are very good, and our senior goalkeeper has been fantastic,” he said. “If I had to describe the team in three words: intense, competitive, brotherhood.”
One of the key figures in that brotherhood is sophomore Henry Parker, a center midfielder whose journey to Covenant took him through a year of soccer in Spain. There, Parker played for an academy and a mens team on the southern coast, an experience that sharpened his skills and offered him a perspective that is unique to the team.
“Soccer in Spain is a lot more fundamental,” Parker said. “You’ve got smaller guys who are super technical. Here, it’s more about speed and athleticism. Both styles have their strengths.”
Parker said his decision to join Covenant came down to culture more than competition. “When I first talked with Coach Bos, he didn’t talk about soccer at all. He just wanted to get to know me,” he said. “That was a game changer.”
The team’s culture this year is more than just welcoming; it is a culture that cultivates strong leadership among its players.
Jackson Bostram, a junior on the team, said, “A lot of the juniors, the sophomores and even freshmen have had to step up into these leadership roles.”
As the Scots enter the heart of conference play, the focus remains on intensity, unity and living out the team’s motto: Not for self. “They really live that out both on and off the field,” Bosgraf said. “It’s what makes this group special.”
Thumbnail photo courtesy of Madison Bowden.