Westlake boys' soccer team undergoes attitude adjustment
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers FOOTWORK IS KEY- Westlake forward Lachlann Tierney plays a ball in the air during a recent practice session at WHS.

The Westlake High boys' soccer team is hoping a new attitude can help bring them new results in the postseason.

After losing to Loyola High for the second straight season in the CIFSouthern Section Division I playoffs, the Warriors (139 overall last year) took a good look in the mirror and realized they had to change a few things.

"In our last game of the season against Loyola, we had a lot of finger-pointing going on," Warrior senior Connor Burke said. "Instead of moving on, it seemed everyone was quick to point out another player as the problem. We couldn't have that anymore.

"This year there's a lot less fooling around, and you can't tell a senior from a freshman. We all treat each other the same, and if there is a problem, we let someone know about it and then move on. We don't keep bringing it up."

Head coach Bill Propster noticed the attitude change as well.

"It seems like they really like each other," Propster said. "There's a lot of potential on this team, but the players need to put in the work and decide how good they want to be."

While the vibe may have changed, the Warriors' tough luck with injuries hasn't.

Burke is healthy after missing half of last season with a torn calf muscle, but senior goalkeeper Max Susa is lost for the year after tearing his meniscus.

At press time, Propster was unsure of the status of senior goalkeeper Jordan Mannisto, who also has a college football career on the horizon. That leaves junior Andrew Singer as the likely starter in net.

"We're not losing anything with Andrew in goal," senior Blaine Prober said. "He played a few games for us last year, and I believe he is just as good as Max or Jordan. I have a lot of confidence in him."

Helping on defense will be Prober, who Propster called "one of the team's best defenders, and real quick." Other players that the coach expects to contribute on defense include senior Christian Houston and junior Austin Hall.

At midfield, Propster said keeping Burke healthy will be a key.

"Connor is a very athletic player and is great in the air," Propster said. "For us to win the Marmonte League, we are going to need him to distribute the ball very well to our top scorers."

Westlake's best scoring threats include senior forwards Scott Rubenstein, Zach Friedman and Naveed Afshar.

"We lost our top scorer in Brett Berman to graduation, but I believe there are many ways we can still generate goals in his absence," Propster said.

"Rubenstein was our secondleading scorer last year, and he's a hard worker. He's one of those guys that always does the unexpected. He's not real fluid, but he's like a bull; he gets in the box and he's deceptive.

"Friedman is a good technical player. He has to get in better shape after not playing club soccer, but he's coming along. Naveed is a solid attacker for us, but I'm not sure where he is going to play yet. He's more of a slasher that reads the game very well."

Another player that could provide offense is junior Baker Boyd, who moved from Colorado.

Westlake begins its season today in the Burroughs Tournament.