Cyclones end season with excitement for next year

The Cyclones had all the elements for a successful season, but some bad luck roiled the team at the wrong times. The silver lining is that many of the talent is expected to return next year for redemption.

All throughout the season the Cyclones played well, despite an overall 6-8-1 record and 2-4-1 conference record. There were at least four shutout wins and several narrow losses, including the NJCAA Region IV qualifier round (Oct. 18) where Moraine Valley lost to Truman College after an overtime and then penalty kicks to end the season. In that last game, five starters, including the goalkeeper, were out with season-ending injuries and a sixth one went down in that game. The lineup was continuously changing, adjusting and catching up to fill voids. With freshmen comprising 10 of the 11 players on the field against Truman and staying strong into penalty kicks, that bodes well for the 2015 season.

“We couldn’t come back with that many starters down. It was just bad luck. The good part is how we ended the season. With mostly non-starting freshmen on the field we played well and took it as far as we could,” said head Coach Chuck Bales. “They’re all really close, and they’ll have that much more strength next year. No matter how crappy we ended, I can’t help but look forward to next season. I’m excited about next year. If we keep these guys together and eligible, we’ll be good.”

Jose Garcia was the leading Cyclone scorer this season, getting five, followed by Jose Estrada and Jonathan Salas with four each.