By Garth Shanklin
Sports Editor

For the first 11 games of the 2015 season, the Milford Eagles boys’ soccer team did not play very well.

The team suffered a 2-0 loss to Oak Hills on Sept. 26, the fifth shutout loss by the squad in the month of September.

Then, suddenly, the Eagles went on a tear. They won five straight games in the regular season, then added two more in the postseason before an 8-1 loss to Mason ended their season.

At that point, head coach Brain Croston said a lineup shuffle helped spark the team, but the main cause for their sudden success was the team coming together.

“We moved some people around and learned how to play with one another,” Croston said. “Shutouts, scored goals, the last 11 games were pretty good.”

Croston said the decision to make some changes was made after a loss to Lebanon, but there were other factors at play when the team started their run.

“We had just lost to Lebanon, so we took the chance and moved some people around,” Croston said. “Competition matters and a little it of luck never hurts, but there were somethings that just turned the season around.”

Now, as the squad prepares for the 2016 campaign, seven of the eight returning players are seniors,

which Croston said helps boost the team’s confidence.

“We’re a very senior-laden team this year,” Croston said. “There’s a lot more confidence. We played in preseason tourney and they knew each other well, especially the bunch that have been on varsity for three years. They’ve been coached by me for long enough that they know what I want to see. It’s good that they can get out there and immediately start making an impact.”

One player who made an impact last season was junior Haleem Rustom. He was brought to the varsity level midway through the season and helped the team embark on their lengthy winning streak at the end of the year.

Rustom will be joined this season by freshman Kyle Boehm. Croston said he doesn’t usually put freshman players on the varsity roster, but Boehm is “special.”

Defensively, the Eagles will be led by Pierce Turner, who earned first-team all-Eastern Cincinnati Conference honors in 2015. In addition to his play on defense, Turner made plays on offense he had never seen a player make in his coaching career, Croston said.

“Not only his he an excellent defender, he scored quite a few goals last year,” Croston said. “[He’s the] first player in my 23 years to score two bicycle kicks in one year. Up front, I’ve got three guys who have been on varsity for years and know each other real well.”

Croston said he believes his team will be one of the top teams in the ECC, as long as they can be consistent.

“I think we’re going to challenge the top teams in the conference,” Croston said. “Can we win the conference? I think any game is winnable, we just have to have the confidence to play against a team that might be slightly better. If we play our best we can win. We have to be consistent, which we weren’t last year. If we are consistent and we play to our ability we can win.”

The Eagles begin their quest for an ECC title with their home opener on Friday, Aug. 19 against Monroe at 6 p.m.