As the snowless winter leaves us and the springtime sun and drizzly rain comes, more than just flowers are returning to the Liberty landscape: Liberty mens soccer is back and ready to make a name for itself in 2A.

For some, this is the beginning of a Patriot soccer career. For others, it’s a continuation. For the vast majority of the men, though, this is their final year.

This year’s team consists of two sophomores, two juniors and twelve seniors. Every player was on Varsity last year at some point, and that is what head coach Darren Tremblay says gives them an edge over their new competition.

“We have a ton of experience and don’t really have a weak spot,” Tremblay said. “Our midfield is especially strong this year and it’ll be exciting to see what they can do.”

According to senior defender Jt Anderson and junior co-captain Tyler Wray, the team’s confidence may be attributed to the majority of the team playing together on the same club team in the offseason. This has allowed them to come together even more and improve their performance on the pitch.

“We have a very secure style of play when it comes to high school soccer,” Wray said. “We’re able to build out of the back with a lot of possession and then use the speed we have up front to our advantage.”

In addition to the solid midfield, the soccer team has tough and speedy forwards. One notable forward is senior Tyler Jensen, who was one of the top five scorers and was named first-team for KingCo last year.

“It was a big honor to be part of first-team and I hope to be a part of it this season,” Jensen said. “But I really want us to win KingCo and make a strong run for the State title. That’s a big goal for us this year.”

Along with the team’s on-field experience and strong assets, there are common expectations that players have of each other in order to achieve their overarching goals – winning the league and performing well in the postseason.

“We are taking training very seriously and we have a lot of team get-togethers so we can strengthen our already really strong team chemistry,” senior co-captain Ryan Graham said.

Despite being two of the youngest returners, sophomores Ethan Diaz and Lucas Frey can attest to the team’s camaraderie and focus.

“I’ve bonded a lot with these guys and they’re some of my really good, close friends,” Diaz said. “They really push me to work hard and they make me a better player.”

The team has already made a statement in their preseason games by beating Hanford 3-0 and tying Mt. Si 1-1. According to Wray, these games were good learning experiences and they have improved because of them.

With all of these factors beginning to come together, the team is ready to make this season one for the books. The preparation, the desire to win and the talent is all there. And now, it’s their time to shine.