New Lancers soccer coach demands players ‘aim high’
Head coach Steve Vagnini wasted no time in putting his stamp on the University of Windsor Lancers men’s soccer program.
Hired in April to replace Steve Hart, who did not want to continue on with both teams, Vagnini made it clear early he was setting the bar high for the program.
“It’s something, as vets, we’re all looking forward to,” Lancers midfielder Bryce Phillips said. “You want someone to aim high. You want to shoot for a goal.
“Last year, a lot of us said, ‘Let’s aim for the playoffs,’ but that’s really not good enough for our school. I’m glad (Vagnini’s) come in and said right off the bat that we’re aiming high.”
The Lancers open the OUA season at home on Friday against the Guelph Gryphons at Alumni Field. Game time is 8:15 p.m. and Vagnini wants his players to set the bar high, as well.
“The first thing I had to do was change the culture,” said Vagnini, who coached at St. Clair College and formerly with the Windsor Stars. “It wasn’t a good environment to be in.
“Players were broken. Their whole mental attitude was not where it was supposed to be. They should be all about winning.”
The Lancers were ranked No. 3 in the country two seasons ago, but were bounced in the first round of the playoffs last year.
“I’ve made a lot of changes,” Vagnini said. “I’ve kept maybe half of the roster and brought in nine new rookies.
“I’ve kept a small roster. There’s no sense keeping 25 or 26 players. I’ve kept 21 players and we’ll go with that. Everyone plays and everyone trains and everyone is involved.”
And for the veterans who remain, the goal is to raise that bar so that the younger players will view that as the standard each season, and not an overachieving campaign.
“We’re kind of getting a fresh start for the program,” Lancers senior midfielder Kyle Ruggaber said. “(Vagnini’s) huge on emphasizing the team culture.
“Just building from the start. We have a lot of veteran guys who are stepping up and that’s going to be key going forward. It’s setting a standard for the younger guys and something to build off and work for.”
Vagnini wants to be strong down the middle and will lean on centre back Anthony Pollock, Patrick Sikora and Phillips.
The Lancers will use Chris AlYoussef as a target up front with Ruggaber expected to contribute to the offence.
Vagnini will also look for contributions from veterans Damon Johnson, Michael Dhilwayo, Jamar Redhead and Miguel Fotecha while Greg Chac takes over in goal this season and the program welcomes Celso Carapau back to the team.
“Last year was very upsetting for a lot of us,” the 22-year-old Ruggaber said. “We’re kind of looking for a new start and to be better this year under Steve. He’s got a very good reputation in the community.
“Under his coaching, we should have a new mindset. He demands a lot, he’s very up front and we’re going to go under his direction.”