Trio of Seniors to Lead Eagles

by Bruce Wallace

Ian McCluskey, Sam Salmons and Maguire Scheer – a trio of soccer players that any team would take and call a “nucleus” for a winning season.

Senior Ian McCluskey is always an offensive threat for the Eagles soccer team.

And while some Eagles soccer fans might be thinking back to a 25-3-1 Final Four season last fall, coach Chris Miller is realizing he has a team with plenty of potential.

“With those three, we have a leader at each point on the field,” said Miller of McCluskey on offense, Scheer in the midfield and Salmons on defense.

“We may not be as skilled as last season, but we have a lot of hard-working kids who have been waiting in the wings for their chance to show what they can do,” Miller added.

The Eagles will be as tenacious on defense as ever. Hugh Keene will get his chance in goal and Miller said with the work that assistant coach Tyler Knierim has done in the past with goal keepers, he think Keene will do well. “He has become a reliable keeper,” Miller said of Keene.

Defenders Ethan Blackburn, Chris Bonderer, Parker Tergin, Derek Gilmore and Ian Moore are all athletic and know how the Eagles defense is supposed to work. Their knowledge of the game will help them when the Eagles face teams from St. Louis or Jefferson City.

“We have a lot of experience back there, but not guys who have started,” Miller said.