Former head coach Power Fraser left his mark on Brunswick’s varsity soccer program for 13 years, but now it’s the first year head coach Christian Gonzalez’s turn to familiarize himself with and instruct the 27 players he has on the roster this year.
With his hands full, and arms extended, Gonzalez says it all starts with 27 handshakes.
“It’s a respect thing,” Gonzalez said. “I expect it from my players at the start and at the end of every practice.”
At the conclusion of a Wednesday morning practice, Gonzalez took the time to personally shake every player’s hand with a firm grip and offer wise words when needed.
He got to know the returning players in the spring when small group practices were held with other assistant coaches. The groups focused on technical work and got their first chance to work with their new coach for the upcoming season.
“It was a good opportunity for them to get to know me and for them to know what is expected, and I would also get to know them and what they needed going forward.”
The Bruins’ newest head coach attended Rye Neck High School in Rye, N.Y., and played soccer from grades 8-12, eventually scoring his 100th goal in his final game of his high school career.
After playing in many elite tournaments, Gonzalez got recruited to play for Fordham University. A four-year letter winner, he then signed a pro contract with the New York Fever in the United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL), which was then the highest league in the country for professional players. A spot on the Wilmington Hammerheads roster in North Carolina would be his final destination before returning to the area to coach.
“I coached for about 15 years for local town teams and their clubs,” Gonzalez said. “Until a couple years ago when I got with a club called the New York Soccer Club and I became director of coaches there and eventually I was recommended to come here to Brunswick.”
Brunswick finished 3-11-1 in Power Fraser’s last year with the club in the Western New England Private School Soccer Association.
“I think Power did a great job with the guys. I only have the highest regard for Power. What I like to bring regardless of what the previous coach did is my style of play, what I believe in, and my principles.”
Gonzalez says his style of play requires high attention to technical aspects of the game, highlighting the little parts of the game that make the team work.
“I think the idea for me is to dominate games by possessing the ball. I like to play a progressive possession style of game. They need to be technically proficient in passing and receiving to be able to do that. “
Entering the 2015 campaign, the Bruins bring back 14 seniors, three juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen.
“We have a good balance of seniors and underclassmen,” Gonzalez said. “Obviously, it’s going to be tough to play everybody, but depth is not a problem. I think we have guys that can contribute and do a good job for us.”
To aid the high-powered offense, look no further than returning senior captain Sal Lopez. Lopez will play a big role in the offense in the striker position as he was the lone Bruin to make WNEPSSA select all-star team.
Lopez also was one of 14 boys in the state to be named to the All-American East team watch list along with Greenwich High’s Nick Bartels.
“We expect big things from Sal,” Gonzalez said. “I think he was one of the leading goal scorers last year. We expect the same this year.”
“We play from the back to front. We look to play short and play through the midfield line. Some coaches prefer to play more of a direct style of game, which is low-risk. Essentially, we play a high-risk game in the sense that if we’re not precise enough, we can get picked off and the opponent can get some good scoring chances.”
Senior Will Solomon will return to the team after opting to play baseball last fall and will take over the starting goalie spot. His absence on last year’s team was heavily felt as the Bruins had to use first-year goalies and allowed twice as many goals (52) as they scored themselves (21).
Sophomores Wilson Stevenson and Austin Sammons will also see time in the net as they prepare them for eventually taking the starter’s role next year
The departure of co-captain Marshall Dickson, Anderson Ashforth, Matt Wysocki, Kevin Pendo, Emmet Coyle, and Ben Rogers will certainly take its toll early in the season against high-caliber opponents like Taft School and Loomis Chaffee School, but Gonzalez says that experienced players are already showing key leadership traits early in the fall season.
“Kids like Aidan Schubert and Sal Lopez are the senior captains and I think they lead by example,” Gonzalez said. “Jared Booth, he’s our Center Back, was recognized by the league as an outstanding player and grabbed some awards. Those three guys really stand out in my mind as guys that the group looks up to.”
Gonzalez said that it will be a slow process to develop the team’s style of play, but he wants his players to be brave and believe in what they are doing.
So far, Gonzalez has been pleased with the team’s practices. He talked about short-term and long-term goals for the program.
“I’ve been extremely pleased with their work ethic and I think they’re hungry to compete,” the first-year head coach said. “I’ve been pleased with their overall competitive attitude and I’m looking forward to get into that competition phase.”
“The biggest thing is we want to win. We want to get to the playoffs. We want to be a program that people look at and say, ‘Wow, here comes Brunswick,’”
The Bruins’ first season game will be against Taft School on Saturday, Sept. 19, followed by their first home game of the year against Loomis Chaffee.
