The Lane Men's Soccer season opens up this week with a Wednesday match against Centralia College. Head Coach Ty Ohrtman, entering his second season, has championship aspirations for his 2024 team.
"Expectations are to win the Southern Region," Coach Ohrtman stated, "and to make a strong run in the playoffs, hopefully culminating in playing for an NWAC Championship."
Ohrtman set out to challenge his team early on by scheduling exhibition matches against formidible 4-year universities. Not only did the Titans meet the challenge, they excelled, defeating Multnomah University, Oregon Tech and Linfield University, while drawing against Corban University.
While these matches will not count towards the teams total record, it shows that the team is ready to flourish this season after an underwhelming 2023 campaign.
"I felt we underachieved last season," Ohrtman remarked, "we let a couple games slip away... it ended on a pretty sour note."
The Titans finished the season with a 5-8-3 record and an overtime playoff loss against Bellevue, but the Titans are looking for redemption.
Ohrtman is excited about the roster he has recruited in his first full recruiting cycle since taking over as head coach.
"This year, every single player on the roster is someone I have chosen." he said, in regards to his 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes.
Players to keep an eye on this season include Forward Griffin Rea, a South Eugene High School standout. Jonathan Colunga, a Chemeketa Community College transfer, is another Forward expected to produce alongside Rea.
On the other end of the field, Ohrtman has high hopes for new Center-Back Alex Eberhard from Bellevue, Washington.
Ethan Juarez and Zac Walker are also expected to be difference makers in the Midfield.
The Titans will start their season with six non-league matches before starting their league season on September 28th against Chemeketa Community College.