Best Start in Program History: Finger Lakes Men’s Soccer Climbs to #2 in the Nation

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. - It's been a season of milestones for Finger Lakes men's soccer. A 10–1 start marks the best opening in program history, and the Lakers' climb to #2 in the NJCAA Division III rankings has given the team national recognition like never before. 

Head coach Joe Balls credits the rise to a group that plays with both creativity and discipline. 

"Our style relies heavily on a free-flowing attack, but also our structure when out of possession," Balls said. "This group is defined by its depth. Training is highly competitive, and we're able to rotate during games without a drop-off in intensity or quality." 

That depth has shown on the stat sheet. Robin Giesing (Essen, Germany/Gymnasium-Essen-Werden) leads the nation in goals with 19 and in points with 42. Right behind him is Daniel Ojedayo (Ibadan, Nigeria/Opicc), who sits second in the country with 11 goals and 24 points. Finn Atkinson (Warrington, England/Kings Leadership Academy Warrington) leads all of Division III in assists (10). At the same time, Bernardo Reffiel Del Castel (Sergipe, Brazil/Pró-mundo) and Germán Guzzi (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Imei) are second and third. In all, four of the top five spots in the national points leaderboard are occupied by Lakers. 

But numbers alone don't define this group. Balls points to a leadership core of Ojedayo, Nathan Salter (Warwick, England/Aylesford School), Mark Musembi (Nairobi, Kenya/Rosslyn Academy), Varun Naidoo (Johannesburg, South Africa/Hillcrest), and goalkeeper Joshua Koobs (Leverkusen, Germany/Werner Heisenberg Gymnasium) as the engine behind the program's progress. 

"Our captains and sophomores drive the standard every day, whether it's training, a match, or off the pitch," Balls said. "The freshmen have bought into that culture and are already developing into leaders themselves." 

The Lakers' only loss came to NJCAA Division I opponent Monroe, but against Division III competition, Finger Lakes has been dominant, outscoring opponents 62–5 and posting seven shutouts. Along the way, they've knocked off #3 Cayuga, who suffered their only defeat to the Lakers, and carry recent history with #5 Herkimer, the team they beat in last year's Region III final. 

For Balls, staying near the top requires a different kind of focus. 

"A quote I've had on my whiteboard since last year is, 'It is harder to stay at the top than it is to get there,'" he said. "There's a different type of pressure when you're expected to win every game. The boys have done a great job of staying grounded. Records and rankings are nice, but until we achieve what we agreed on at the beginning of the season, we have to keep earning it every day." 

Part of what makes this year's group unique is its diversity. The roster spans multiple continents, but Balls says the players' shared goals have created a unified team. 

"Despite being from all over the world, their common language is football," he said. "Everyone wants to achieve the same thing, and that's allowed them to respect and understand each other's differences while keeping our eyes firmly set on the same end goal." 

That identity has resonated with the campus and local community as well. Finger Lakes leads the nation in home attendance and will host a fundraiser scrimmage with St. John Fisher University on September 27 to benefit the American Cancer Society. Those interested in supporting the fundraiser can donate today here.

Before then, the Lakers face one of their biggest challenges yet: a nationally-ranked showdown under the lights at #9 Genesee Community College tomorrow, September 24th; their biggest test in the latter half of the regular season.