JHS soccer building numbers, foundation

The Johnston boys soccer team is nearing the end of its regular season and has been grinding through a rebuilding year, fielding a roster with nine freshmen and 18 underclassmen overall, as well as four seniors that are leading the way.
The Panthers currently sit at 1-12 with three games remaining on the schedule. Although the playoffs are unlikely, first-year coach Yevgen Fedorchuk has been thrilled to see his players embrace the process and work hard building a foundation for the future.
“We’ve been very happy with the team this year and I’m very excited to have everyone here. We have seen a lot of improvement, we mostly have freshmen and they are better than they were at the beginning of the season. They’re still not where I want them to be, but we are going in the right direction,” said Fedorchuk.
The future looks promising for Johnston, as the team also introduced a full junior varsity roster as well. Fedorchuk and his staff have been preaching togetherness over individual performance.
“We want to get everyone involved in the action. We want to build this as a team, not just one player. When we lose, the whole team loses, when we win the whole team wins,” said Fedorchuk.
Captain Logan Brennan has been key for the Panthers this season, as he has been an important communicator between players as well as a resource for Fedorchuk, who is still familiarizing himself with the roster.
“Logan has really helped me with organizing the team. He has more experience and a better feel for the game than the younger guy so he has helped develop them. He’s been very good,” Fedorchuk said.
With the final three games ahead in the next week, Fedorchuk is hoping to see his players focus on gaining valuable experience and touches as they continue to mature physically to compete with upperclassmen on a nightly basis.
“We are playing teams that have mostly seniors, so physically we are not there yet. Our goal for the rest of the season is for the guys to continue to get a feel for the game. We want everyone to get comfortable in their positions and get familiar,” said Fedorchuk. “They got some experience this year with how we want the (system) to work. We will try to win every game we play, but right now it’s about getting them playing time.”
More than anything, Fedorchuk hopes to introduce a new era of soccer to the community.
“I am here because I love the game, soccer is in my heart,” said Fedorchuk. “We want to bring a great soccer atmosphere to Johnston, we want it to be fun. When our players are working hard, working together and having fun, the wins will come.”