2021 Men's Soccer Season Preview

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Heading into the 2021 season, head coach Michael Antoniewiczenters his second season at the helm of the Cobras. Antoniewicz's coaching staff will include new assistant coach, Evan Gaffney.

Antoniewicz has high expectations for his team this year. 

"We look to go in and win every single game," said Antoniewicz. "We are coming off a good season in 2019 and we want to continue momentum and keep taking this program in the right direction."

Coker will rely upon a mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen this season. The team consists of 19  returning players, 15 freshmen and six transfer students. Antoniewicz is excited about this group of Cobras and the potential each of them have.

"We have many returners in the squad this year," said Antoniewicz. "They are bringing in a wealth of experience and the hunger to win. We have great leadership on and off the field that will help us achieve our goals." 

"We are very excited with our new additions to the team," said Antoniewicz. "We have a good mix of transfers and freshmen. We have many players that are going to come in to make an immediate impact right away. They have all signed for Coker due to the vision and goals we have for this program and they are fully bought into it. They are hungry for success and every single one of them are going to play their part in achieving our goals."

The Cobras took the fall semester to train and prepare for tough opponents that they will face this season.

 "Our conference is so competitive," said Antoniewicz. "I truly think it's the best D2 conference in the country. All three pods are very tough and there are no easy games for everyone. We'll take it one game at a time and never look ahead. No team can be taken lightly and we will look to be at our best every game to get the win."

Key players for Coker include forward Jacques Fokam-Sandeu, who was selected to the SAC Preseason All-Conference First Team. Sandeu is coming off of a stellar freshman season where he  scored eight goals and had three assists, landing him a spot on the 2019 SAC All-Conference First Team. Senior defenseman Morgan Ratcliffe was selected to the SAC Preseason All-Conference Second Team will be key in the Cobras defence. Coker will also rely on seniors Adam Kennedy and Guillermo Falo Ejea this season. 

"They are the spine of the team and are fantastic leaders," said Antoniewicz. "They will be major keys to our success. We have some new players this year that will make some big impacts this year and very excited about their future as a Cobra."

Antoniewicz believes the number one strength of his team this year is their hunger to get better and be successful. 

"We have a very talented team but I believe the mental side of our game is in a great place," said Antoniewicz. "Every single player is bought into the same goal and same vision. We are all driven to achieve our goals and we know that it will take every single player and staff to be at their best every day. The boys demand the best from themselves and teammates every day."

 Coker opens up its 2021 campaign on Thursday (Feb. 18) when they travel to Anderson, S.C. to take on Anderson University (S.C.) in a non-conference matchup. Match time is set for 7:30 p.m., with live coverage available at www.cokercobras.com.