The Pride of the Pack: Goals and Aspirations with TRU Men’s Soccer

Interview Review: TRU Wolfpack at Hillside Stadium

On March 12th, I caught up with five members of the TRU Wolfpack men’s soccer team: Vlas Iouriev, Dante Seckham, Taffel McCootie, Lewis Crompton and Liam Freathy during their morning training at Hillside Stadium. The goal was to get a feel for where the team is at emotionally and physically as they prepare for the upcoming year.

When I asked them about the “vibe” of the team, the main takeaway was a sense of genuine camaraderie. The guys described it simply as a “good feeling” being apart of the squad. During the interview the players make statement that Coach John Antulov has built a culture where players actually enjoy being around each other, which showed in how they interacted on the pitch.

We also got into the “real talk” about their performance. The players were very honest, admitting that they didn’t achieve the specific goals they had set for themselves last season. However, they aren’t dwelling on that. Instead, they’ve spent the last six months in a heavy training cycle, showing up every single morning to fix those mistakes. Because the roster is staying almost exactly the same with no players graduating, they feel like they have a massive head start on chemistry.

Looking ahead to the August preseason, there’s a lot of optimism. With the addition of new talent like James Rainbird and Aiden Muzio, the group has high aspirations. They aren’t just looking to play; they’re looking to “do better” and prove they belong at the top of the standings. Overall, the interview showed a team that is hungry, focused, and more united than ever.