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In August, the Vikings were broadcasted in the Heart 2015 Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll to win the Heart of America Athletic Conference in 2015. However, it is one month into the season, and the men’s soccer team has been faced with three losses.

The head coach for the men’s soccer team, Blair Reid, refers to the losses as “missed chances.” When the opportunities arose, Reid said, they failed to convert and missed their chances to score.

“I thought we controlled the game, the majority of it, but if you don’t score, you’re in trouble,” Reid said.

The players, too, are disappointed in their current 2-3-1 record. Sam Blackman, a junior at Grand View who is a midfielder on the team, feels that he and his team have just had some bad luck in the past three games. Furthermore, he suspects that changes within the team itself may have played a big role in their overall performance so far this season.

“We’ve lost some big players from last year,” Blackman said. “We’re a relatively new team, so gluing together can take some time.”

In addition to this, the team has experienced four injuries to their starters.

In the face of these new challenges Coach Reid insists that he and his team are working hard on improving. They have a variety of ways in which they practice different skills during practice and learn to work together.

Despite their losses, the soccer team remains optimistic for the upcoming conference game in Kansas City against Avila.

Assistant Coach Auggie Gutierrez said during practice on Thursday that they are hoping for a great season.

“It started out a little rough,” he said. “We had a lot of injuries, but it’s a long season and it’s still early.”

Sam Blackman confidently says, “We’ll stick together as a group, take each game as it comes and turn around our season.”