Tiger soccer team looks to continue making history

Winners of 32 of its past 39 games during the previous two seasons, the Cowley College men's soccer team will look to continue its winning ways as they enter the 2021 season.

After losing only one conference game in each of the past two seasons in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division, Cowley will play this season as part of the Jayhawk Conference Western Division. Along with the Tigers, Dodge City, Garden City, and Barton make up the Jayhawk West.

"It will be difficult being in a new conference, but we look forward to the challenge," Cowley head coach Ruy Vaz said.

The Tigers are coming off one of the most successful seasons in the history of the program as they repeated as conference champions, captured its first-ever district title, and won its first-ever game at the national tournament.

"We feel a little more established as a program and more well respected on the national level," Vaz said.

The Tigers will return several talented sophomores that had solid seasons in their first year in the program. Sophomores are Andre Cavichione (four goals, four assists), Murilo Ramos (four goals, three assists), Antonio Peruchi Marra (three goals), Leonardo Palmieri (four assists), Alvaro Gabancho (one goal, two assists), Mateo Jimenez, and Alexandre Picoto.

"The sophomores know what we expect from them and the level of intensity needed to be good players," Vaz said. "They have done a good job of keeping this team together."

Cowley has added a large freshman class to help make up for the loss of last year's sophomores, including defender Joao Victor Camargos and forward Elluan Martins Gomes (16 goals), who became only the third and fourth Cowley men's soccer players to earn All-American honors. 

"They are young, but we have high expectations for the freshmen," Vaz said. "I feel with our depth we have two teams of players that could play in the starting lineup."

Bassirou Sene, a midfielder from Senegal, is a left-footed standout that will look to make an immediate impact. While, Valentine Iheanyiogu, is a dynamic forward from Italy that is expected to wreak havoc with his speed and strength.

Vaz also signed Japanese soccer players Masaya Sekiguchi, Ryoma Sakamoto, Takeru Moriyama, and Shuma Kawabe.

"Those players bring a great work ethic," Vaz said.

Andre Luiten from New Zealand, and Kawabe will battle for time in goal.

"They both have the potential to be the starting goalkeeper," Vaz said.

Other freshmen on the roster are, Jhansel Abreu, Marcos Garcia, Adrian Gonzales, Jose Manuel Zarate, Grigorios Nasai, Matias Otarola, Alfonso Perez, Jamie Raveneau, Mauricio Guzman Vaca, Gabriel Sandoval, and Gonzalo Suarez.

The Tigers also brought in transfers Luis Rodrigues from Murray State College in Oklahoma, and Tsubasa Nakamori from defending national champion Monroe College.

With the national tournament being played in Wichita, KS this season, the Tigers are hoping to make the short trip down the road to play for a national title.

"That will be an external motivator, but it should not be the main driving force," Vaz said. "The goal is always the same regardless of the group we have. We know we will have a target on our back, but will continue to work relentlessly to be better than the day before."

Having not played a game in nearly a year and a half, the Tigers are eager to get their season underway when they host Kansas City Kansas Community College Friday, April 2 at 4 p.m.

"It has been difficult not playing, but I feel we can show our best because of the time we have had to prepare," Vaz said. "KCK is always a physical opponent, so we expect a battle. We will do our best to neutralize their weapons."