UC Clermont Men's Soccer Set for Exciting Second Season

The University of Cincinnati Clermont College men’s soccer team kicks off the program’s second season, and one thing head coach Peter Ohmer likes is his team’s competitiveness.

“I think we’re going to compete in every game,” Ohmer said. “This team has some of the best chemistry and camaraderie I’ve been around.”

The Cougars certainly face a stiff challenge this season, as Ohmer took a big step forward in scheduling. Clermont faces difficult games against several schools in the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and opened the season Sept. 3 against an NCAA Division III school in Mount St. Joseph University (final 1-2). Clermont also hosts North Carolina’s Warren Wilson College on Oct. 23.

But Ohmer is especially looking forward to an Oct. 10 road game against Berea College. 

“They had a huge crowd when we traveled there last year,” he said. “It seemed like the whole town came out to the game, it was a great atmosphere.”

Clermont surprised some with its competitiveness in the program’s first year and ended on a positive with a 1-0 win over NAIA school Cincinnati Christian. Still, every new program faces growing pains, and with only three returning players, the Cougars will face a tough schedule this season with a fairly inexperienced roster. 

“We have a good team, but many of them are new to playing at the college level, so it’s important to help the incoming players understand the demands of the collegiate game,” he said. “We have a small roster compared to a lot of teams, so we’ll have to work on our fitness and keep everyone healthy.”

Not that the Cougars lack for talent. Ohmer praised his incoming freshman class as "excellent" and the team returns its most important player, junior goalkeeper Serge Kikonda. “He’s going to be our top player,” Ohmer said. Talented Rio Grande transfer Matthew Noland, a sophomore, is another player to keep an eye on this season.

Overall, Ohmer said he’s excited to see how his young team responds to the rigors of a tough slate. “I think the players we have will be able to compete in every game, which is exciting,” he said. 

For more information about the Men’s Soccer Team visit: http://www.ucclermont.edu/athletics/MensSoccer.html

UC Clermont Athletics includes Women's Volleyball, Men's & Women's Soccer,  Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Baseball and Softball. The UC Clermont Cougars participate in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). The Cougars have been successful in bringing home national championship titles in men’s and women’s basketball and baseball. In addition, the volleyball and softball programs have been ranked nationally and have been highly competitive in national tournament play.