Beavercreek Soccer looks to defend state title

Beavercreek, Ohio — The third time was the charm for the Beavercreek boys soccer team last season.  The Beavers (22-0-2) finished off an unbeaten run with the first state title in school history with a 1-0 win over Medina in the Division I championship game at MAPFRE Stadium.

While the trophy sits proudly inside the high school, the job for head coach John Guiliano is making sure his guys don’t live in the past.

“You’ve got to make the kids forget about it,” Guiliano said during practice this week.  “It’s a new team, each team has to develop it’s own personality...we had kids last year who played together for three or four years and that makes a difference.”

The Beavers lost some key players to graduation, but Guiliano returns a solid group of guys who are are not backing down from defending that title.

“It’s always in the back our heads but you have to put it behind you,” senior captain Mark Rzecznik said.  “the bar is set higher so the players that we have, have to step up even more.”

The Beavercreek soccer program is no stranger to success, that’s why more than 80 kids came out for try-outs this summer.  Guiliano starts his 31st season as the Beavers head coach so he knows how fleeting that success can be.

“That’s one of the things we’ve been emphasizing to them is that they are not last year’s team.  Last year’s team was something special, and if they want to be something special they have to work hard in practice and in games.”

Beavercreek opens the season at home against Lebanon on Tuesday, August 21st.