Newcomers Provide Hope on the Pitch

While results have been hard to come by for the men's soccer team this season, there are positive signs across the pitch to pull from, including the emergence of a pack of newcomers who have provided key contributions to the club this season.

With a roster boasting just three seniors, it's things like this that encourage hope of a bright future for the program.

"We have quality on our team. We just have to keep fighting," said forward Nikita Bondar, a freshman from Hamburg, Germany. "That's how it is sometimes in soccer. Sometimes you have a negative phase and you just need to fight on and get out of that. Once you are out of that there is also a positive phase."

"We've got a great group of young guys. They all have great attitudes, willing to work, willing to put a lot of energy and effort into the program," freshman keeper Antonio Chavez Borrelli added. "We all want to win. We all want to take this program to where it's never been before. We believe we can do that with this group."

With roster turnover and early injuries, the likes of Chavez Borrelli, Bondar, sophomore midfielder Heidar Aegisson and freshman midfield Beto Luna have earned themselves chances to be in the mix through the spine of the pitch and haven't let go of that opportunity.

Aegisson, who's played for Iceland's U-21 and U-19 National Teams, has provided stability at central mid, is second on the team with five assists and started the team's first 11 matches.

Prior to the start of the season, head coach Ed Kelly exclaimed, "We haven't had a center mid-fielder like Heidar in years. He controls the game a little bit, like a point guard."

Luna, who has two goals and an assist and is second on the team with eight shots on goal, has appeared in all of the Eagles games this season, providing some much-needed pressure up top.

"At first, I knew it was going to be a different challenge," Luna said. "As the weeks start going by your confidence starts growing and growing. You just start getting more confident and start playing better."

Borelli, who helped Loyola High School in Los Angeles become a Top 5 soccer team in the country, has also played in all 12 games this season, starting nine of them.

With almost 1,000 minutes logged between the woodwork, the California native has stopped 38 shots and posted a 1.67 goals against average.

"I'm very grateful to be in the position that I'm in," the Eagles keeper said. "Just got to take it one day at time, do your best each day, focus on the next shot, next cross, next game. It's important to just stay in the moment and do the best you can. It's definitely challenging playing at the high level, but as you consistently get better and better, it's easier to adapt."

Surely, in a 4-8 season, there are mistakes to learn from.

Playing in the country's strongest conference, which boasts seven of the top 16 teams in the nation - including three in the top five - has certainly provided a test of wills for these newcomers.

Then of course there is the massive adjustment that comes with academia for any new student-athlete.

"Balancing both academics and playing every day is definitely a challenge," said Borrelli. "It takes a lot of work ethic and a lot of determination and a lot of sacrifice. That's why I'm here. It's what I really love to do."

Add to all of that the distances from home for this group - where Luna's 1,500 mile return trip to Palmetto Bay, Florida stands as the closest journey for any of them by far – and you begin to see how strong the makeup and mental capacities are on these young players, with an assist credited to the upperclassmen on the roster.

"I was a bit astonished that the level was really high here and also on our team," said Bondar. "It's really tough. You have really tough games and you have academics besides that…At the beginning it was a bit hard. Right now, I'm getting used to it. Studying is hard when English is not your native language. But I'm getting a good mix right now."

"The upperclassmen have helped a lot," Luna noted. "Len (Zeugner) reaches out to me a lot, [Henry Balf] and Josh [Forbes]. They all, just in general, reach out to you and ask you how your day has been, if you need any help with tutoring, they're always helping out with school and athletics."

While the Eagles are still looking for their first win in the ultra-competitive ACC, they continue to fight through and learn from the growing pains.

This young group is one that seems to not be easily fazed, and as they continue to gain confidence in their roles within the program, they strengthen the future of this season and beyond.

"Consistency is certainly key," said Borrelli. "It's great to be around new guys, a new coaching staff and just the week-in and week-out grind of coming in and competing, doing your best, trying to turn results into positive wins, learning from your mistakes and moving on."

"We'll just try to play more like one unit," Aegisson added. "We need the chemistry more up here. We need little bit of luck and when we get a win we'll get the ball rolling. I think the future is bright with this group of guys"

Boston College Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Heidar Aegisson

Henry Balf

Nikita Bondar

Antonio Chavez Borrelli

Beto Luna

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