“He’s worked hard in the offseason to increase his foot and hand speed,” Hardesty said. “He’s developed into an outstanding keeper. His soccer IQ has increased drastically to where he keeps his head when younger players would panic.”

Junior Seth Coombes will also play a large role defensively, anchoring the back line from his centerback position.

The Ridgerunners’ biggest problem last year was scoring goals. Before their three-game winning streak to end the season, Grove lost four in a row, scoring just one goal during that span. Hardesty hopes that improvement in off the ball movement helps create more scoring opportunities.

“That’s probably our biggest weakness as a team. We have a tendency to stay put after the ball is passed. Soccer is like chess, you need to have 3-5 moves in your head at all times and be able to execute the run when necessary.”

Hardesty also wants his squad to be able to control the pace of play better.

“We need to be able to speed the game up and slow it down when necessary. We have a tendency to want to hold onto the ball just a little too long before making a pass. If, as a team, we can control the tempo of the game, we can choose when the other team runs or gets a break.”

The Ridgerunners will have a core of players who are freshmen and sophomores, making for a team that looks inexperienced on paper, but one that their young coach feels is experienced enough to make a playoff run.

“Making the playoffs is always a goal,” Hardesty said. “To my knowledge, the boys’ team has only made the playoffs twice since the start of the program. Many of these kids play on competitive teams in Tulsa and travel all over the United States during the summer and fall. They’ve been playing together since they were eight years old and really play as a cohesive unit.”

After opening the regular season on Friday at Miami, the Ridgerunners will host NOAH on Tuesday with the girls’ varsity game beginning at 6 p.m.