By Louis Galdos
Elm Staff Writer
Whether on dry land or in water, junior Josh Samuels is an athletic threat to any opponent. When he’s not practicing with the swim team, Samuels, one of three captains of the men’s soccer team, is busy making saves.
In his freshman year, he beat out two older goalkeepers and has held the position ever since. His main objective for the upcoming year is to help the team go further in the postseason.
He has started as a goal keeper for the last three years and started in 13 games as a freshman. During his career at WC, he has earned accolades such as: 2016 All-Centennial Conference second team, 2016 Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll, and 4x Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 14, 2015; Sept. 6, 2016; Oct. 10, 2016; Oct. 17, 2016).
“As a keeper, I am always looking to increase my number of shutouts and decrease by my goals against average compared to last season,” he said.
Samuels said he wants to prove the Shoremen belong in the Centennial Conference.
“In this season, we are looking to show that last year’s run to the conference tournament was not a stroke of luck, but proof that we are a team looking to compete against the top teams,” he said.
Head Coach Roy Dunshee spoke highly of his starting goalkeeper.
“Through the seasons he has become a confident and effective leader on and off the field. He is an excellent student, a diligent worker, and a kind and compassionate teammate. He is growing into his role as a captain and we expect great things from him the next two seasons,” he said.
Samuels said he wants fans to come out and support the team this season. The encouragement from fans and spectators helps motivate the team, he said.
“My favorite moment(s) came at the end of both of those games (Swarthmore and Dickinson) when the crowd erupted singing: ‘Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye,’” he said. “It was an amazing feeling to hear the support of the crowd behind us as we battled through the final minutes of play. I can only hope that the support continues this season.”