Early results in the Great Midwest confirm that, yes, Northern Iowa is still good, and, yes, Chicago is still strong, but also there are one or two up-and-comers.
We discussed Marquette already (Who Made a Statement in GMW Opening Weekend?) and Wisconsin-Milwaukee is certainly one, as well.
UWM's started has inclluded a shutout win over Northern Illinois and their win over Wisconsin-Whitewater was by a wider margin that acheived by Marquette, and the Panthers now feel they are in good shape to challenge for a semifinal spot, or more.
"We have a great group of guys this year that represent both on and off the pitch," said Head Coach Jason Petrillo. That includes senior leadership of Teddy Miller, Mason Novak, Connor Breit, Max Buccholz, Tyler Blasier, and Cody Huss.
They combine nicely with an incoming group of players with good high school experience, which, said Petrillo, is a testament to the growth and development of the high school game in the Badger State.
"The character of this team is a blue collar group of dudes who love contact," added Petrillo. "We have done a lot of tackling and rucking drills in practice and it has been paying off for us. We like our forwards setting the tone on defense and letting the backs work their magic on offense. Beating UW Whitewater was a good start but we all want more."
For player Nino Baier, the influx of talented rookies has really helped.
"They’ve been able to step in quickly and contribute without having to learn the game completely from scratch," he told GRR.
With that knowledge comes confidence, and with that confidence comes communication.
"Our communication has been really strong this year," added Baier. "Between the players, coaches, and leadership, it feels like everyone is on the same page and understands what we’re trying to accomplish. There’s been a lot more accountability within the team, and guys are communicating and working together better both at practice and during matches."
