TOWAMENCIN — John Martin Vince was not speaking vaguely.
The Souderton senior attackman stopped his team from ending their postgame meeting on Thursday to make a point. Even though the Indians had just beaten North Penn to remain undefeated in SOL National Conference matches, they needed to improve their performance due to their experience and the tough games ahead.
Souderton's experienced players are looking to change their approach and are hopeful that the 11-3 victory over the host Knights will be the catalyst for this change.
“We all know what we stand to gain,” Vince said. “We’ve been playing together for around eight years, and in the past three years, we’ve aimed to win the league but have not succeeded.
“This is our last year, and everyone understands that it’s now or never.”
Vince and fellow senior attackman Seth Grossman each scored three goals and provided two assists, while Brody Anderson scored two goals and assisted once to lead Souderton’s offense. The other three goals also came from seniors, as Sean and Gavin Landis scored one each, and Jaden Knize scored the other.
With a wealth of experience, not only in the attack but throughout the team, Souderton naturally has high aspirations for the season. The Indians had a 6-4 record in the SOL National last year, winning their first round District 1 playoff game before being eliminated in the second round by Wissahickon.
As of Thursday, they were ranked fifth in the current 3A power rankings, but fellow National Conference rivals Pennridge and Central Bucks East took the next two spots, and Central Bucks West was not far behind at No. 11. Souderton narrowly defeated East and West in two one-goal matches, but they are yet to play against Pennridge and have a few challenging non-league tests ahead.
“We must approach every game with the mindset that we are playing against the best team in the league, regardless of the opponent,” Grossman said. “It begins in practice, where we need to hold each other responsible and ensure that we are ready to perform.”
Grossman stressed the importance of being “responsible,” emphasizing that this is the key to getting the team to perform at their expected level. Due to the experienced players on the team, Grossman added that any player can speak up to another, as everyone understands that it is for the benefit of the group as a whole.
