Young & Potent

One can look at the numbers in the win-loss column and notice how well the Pacific men's soccer team is playing. The Boxers enter the week with an 8-3-4 record and are 4-1-4 against Northwest Conference opponents.

Digging a little deeper into the numbers, however, and its not hard to see that this team is quite and good. And they have the potential to be scary good over the next few years.

Let's look at the numbers that prove the point...
• To date, Pacific has lost just one conference match. The last time the Boxers finished with just one loss was 1994. Change just two of their four ties into victories, and the Boxers are on top of the conference instead of fourth.

• Pacific has allowed just 12 goals in 15 matches and the team's 0.75 goals against average is among the best in the nation at the NCAA Division III level. That's second in the conference only to the 11 allowed by Whitman. In conference matches, the Boxers have allowed a league best seven goals, one less than Whitman, Puget Sound or Pacific Lutheran.

• For the first time since adopting a more defensive-minded approach to the game with the arrival of assistant coach and defensive guru Jim Rilatt, the Boxers are posting offensive numbers that are better than that of their opponents. The Boxers have outscored opponents 20-12, outshot opponents 207-185 and posted 101 shots on goal.

• And perhaps the mosat important part...all but four of the players on the Pacific roster are underclassmen. Upperclassmen Danny Williams and Brandon Porter accounts for eight of the Boxers' 20 goals, with a number of players waiting to step into that top scoring role.

Granted, their is plenty of seaosn left with five matches remaining and, yes, a chance at their first NWC title since 1996 will require some help from some other teams. Nonetheless, the Boxers are continuing to build towards what could become a run of strong and successful teams over the years to come.