Moraine Valley men's soccer squad loaded with talent and potential in 2015

The Moraine Valley Community College men’s soccer team has been through some ups and downs over the years. But according to Coach Chuck Bales, his 2015 squad is one of the strongest he’s seen.

Between the returners and the strength of the recruits, as long as these Cyclones stay healthy, they have the “potential to win trophies, period.”

“We have some phenomenally experienced freshmen. We recruited from some strong teams that won or got second in the state cup,” Bales said. “I keep telling them that they’ve won at a high level and need to keep doing it now. I said anything less than a trophy haul will be a letdown.”

Eleven players returned healthy from last year’s team including All-NJCAA Region IV and All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference players Michell Corona (Garcia Charter) and Przemyslaw Tylka (Sandburg), All-Region player Ivan Velasquez (Reavis) as well as All-Conference player Giovanni Sanchez (Eisenhower). Along with 16 new guys, they’re working out the kinks and finding their rhythm on the field. Sophomore Danny Vallejo (Reavis), who was injured toward the end of last season and was sorely missed, and reverse transfer Gabriel Martinez (Kennedy) will lead the charge as captains. They’ll be responsible for instilling that competitive and positive attitude in practice and games. The team is stacked with many players making the opportunities seem endless.

Additionally, the players participated in a sleep study on campus, getting tools, tips and information on the benefits of sleep for athletes.

“Everything is pointing in the right direction. We know how we’re going to play and where players will best serve the team,” Bales said. “With the talent, I think we have the attitude to go far. We’ll see when we get in the fire.”

Visit www.morainevalley.edu/athletics or follow the Cyclones on Facebook at morainevalleycyclones and Twitter @MVCyclones.