The Gannon University men’s soccer team, which had been getting ready for its 2021 season with workouts both on and off the field in recent weeks, had to cancel those workouts for a week due to concerns regarding COVID-19.
However, the team is hoping to resume practicing Wednesday, barring any setbacks.
The team has high hopes and expectations for the upcoming season as last year it finished with a record of 18-3-0 and ended the season ranked eighth among all Division II teams in the country.
With a number of returning players coming back this year, the sky’s the limit for the Knights.
They have set the bar high and will be working toward taking home an NCAA Championship.
Gannon has been taking all necessary precautions to make sure every practice and workout is as safe as it can be for everyone, from the players and coaches to the trainers.
Before the one-week pause, the team had been practicing out on the field three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings.
Players had been doing a variety of things at practice from conditioning to playing scrimmages within the team.
The competition was very intense and the players were extremely happy to be back out on that field.
In addition to practicing on the field, the Knights also had been in the weight room four times a week, 8 a.m. Monday through Thursday.
Players had been hitting the weights and working on all aspects of their body such as physicality, explosiveness and speed.
The players have been doing a variety of workouts including hang cleans, bench press, lunges and squats.
The players have been showing an extreme amount of love, passion and dedication not only to the team but to each other.
Although the one-week delay was not ideal, it did not come in the middle of what normally would be a fall season. That’s because the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference postponed the fall season, so no games are being played.
Although games won’t be played for another four months, the players appear to be on track and preparing for a season they are all expecting.
The team will continue practicing, working out and improving itself on and off the field until it is time to play.
The PSAC season is expected to begin in mid-January. Details are expected to be forthcoming by the first week of October.
Last year, the Knights clinched the first PSAC regular-season title in school history and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
IOANNIS GIANNIKAKIS
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