Aug. 8, 2012

CORVALLIS, Ore. - A cool, cloudy Corvallis morning did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the Oregon State men's soccer team's first training session of the fall. A team scrimmage Wednesday carried all the speed and physicality that one would expect from a regular season match. That eagerness did not disappoint head coach Steve Simmons.

"Everybody's pretty jacked to get going," said Simmons, who is entering his fourth year at the helm. "There's a lot of positive energy. It may not be quite as clean, but I'd much rather have a group that I have to tone down a little bit."

The veteran Beavers squad noticed much of the same thing as their coach as they look to improve upon last season's 5-11-2 mark. Among the 16 returning letter winners, nine are starters.

"We have so many returners that there's a lot of excitement building around this year and this team," fifth-year senior defender Chris Harms said. "I think everyone was looking forward to getting that first practice out of the way."

"It felt nice playing with the guys again, especially a new group at the beginning of the year," added senior midfielder Roberto Farfan. He tied for the team lead with four goals last year and was second on the team in points, trailing only forward Emery Welshman.

"Everybody came out guns blazing so it was really fast paced," Welshman said. "It's all typical for the first day."

That level of excitement is sure to plateau with two practices a day for the next week, which will allow the Beavers to turn their focus to preparing for the regular season opener with Sacramento State on Aug. 24.

"Usually everyone is going a million miles an hour on the first day," Simmons said. "But what I saw this morning was an overall good level of talent that is going to provide very good competition."

Besides the two-a-days, Oregon State will compete in a pair of exhibition games. The Beavers travel to face the Portland Timbers reserve team Saturday and host Div. II Simon Fraser a week later.

By the end of camp, the Beavers are confident that all the preparations will lead to a successful 2012 campaign.

"We're looking to develop chemistry so that we can continue to gel as a team," Harms said. "We want to be tough to break down and solid all the way back."

Welshman agreed, saying that the anticipation of a new season won't get in the way of the preparations that need to be done.

"After today or tomorrow, it's going to be back to the regular routine of just playing soccer and being more focused."

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