Talented trio returns to Wheaton soccer a year older and smarter

High hopes for Solomon, Driscoll, Sye

As freshmen, all three players were impact performers for the Wheaton College men's soccer team. Lexington High product Eric Driscoll was a defensive stopper and netted the winning goal in the conference final. Starting every game, Josh Solomon tied for the team lead in points, and former Acton-Boxborough Regional teammate Kyle Sye was voted the conference's top rookie.

Wheaton coach Matt Cushing calls the trio "special." And with the Lyons set to kick off their 2008 campaign next week, his expectations are high.

"I think the biggest growth in a student-athlete is the year between his freshman and sophomore years," said Cushing. "They've invested in a career, they know what to expect, and now they're coming in as young men, not boys. Those three guys came here, and I knew right away they'd be impact players. It'll be nice to see how the added maturity will help them this year."

Thanks to their immediate contributions, the Lyons captured their third straight NEWMAC tournament title, earned their fifth straight NCAA Division 3 postseason appearance, and finished 14-6-3.

A four-year varsity player at Acton-Boxborough, Sye tied for the team lead in assists (7) with Driscoll and Solomon and at season's end, he was named to the all-conference team and was named the NEWMAC's Rookie of the Year.

Sye and Solomon have played on the same team since age 5.

The duo spent the summer playing for a local men's league, squaring off against foes nearly five years older, before heading back to Wheaton earlier this month for four-a-day training sessions, preparing for the Lyons' opener a week from tomorrow against Husson in the Adidas Kick-Off Classic.

"When we were freshmen, we were nervous because you don't really know what to expect," said Sye. "There weren't really a lot of upperclassmen to help, but now we're the upperclassmen and we have a big freshman class coming in. Preseason gets tough sometimes. You have no time to do anything except eat and play soccer, but you come in more confident because you know what to expect."

At 5-feet-7 and 150 pounds, Sye brings speed and a knack for finding the net. Cushing called Sye, with his easygoing personality and positive attitude, "the most noticeable guy out there."

"He has a great outlook on things," said Cushing. "He can break up the opposition on the dribble. He can pick the ball up and get behind the defense and score without waiting for an opportunity to score."

Sye worked odd jobs and hit the weight room with Solomon, who tied for the team lead in points (19) and assists (7). In the winter, Solomon and his teammates attended captains' practices before suiting up for a spring soccer league.

Summers, though, are left to self-training.

"You're on your own in the summer, so you try to train and stay in shape," said Solomon. "I had a couple men's league games a week and then tried to juggle around and shoot a bit every day. Staying fit was the most important thing for me this summer. Coming back, I've been through it once before so you have more experience and can approach it differently."

A starting forward, Solomon began playing soccer at age 4 when his older brother, Matt, taught him the basics. Last season, he scored six goals in the 23 games he started; Cushing called him "a student of the game."

"He loves the game. He really wants to learn as much about it as he can," said Cushing. "He follows all the European teams and challenges me sometimes with why we're doing things a certain way. He's really good one on one, and the opposition has to be conscious of him because he can eliminate them on the dribble. This year, he's got to be a goal scorer. His task is to step up and lead us to get goals."

While the Acton duo provides the Lyons with offensive power, Driscoll is a tough defender in the midfield.

"There's a comfort in knowing what your preseason looks like," said Driscoll, who played in two men's leagues this summer. "I can relax more this time around and I'm not all nerves anymore. I enjoyed the summer more, too. I spent a lot of time coaching, which is another passion of mine. "

Driscoll, who netted 11 points as a frosh and scored the winner against Babson in the NEWMAC final, has a strong mental approach to the game and Cushing relies him to be his "defensive quarterback."

"Eric takes all our corner kicks. He's a very smart player," said Cushing. "He sees the field very well and really sets our defense. He has long blond hair, so he's hard to miss on the field; he's so fast, he looks like a blond streak. His goal is to coach someday. He'd love my job someday."

Sapna Pathak can be reached at sportsgalsp@gmail.com.