By Josh McFadden | [email protected]

When you play in one of the state’s most competitive regions, you need to be at your best every game. The Bingham boys soccer team knows this as the players continue to make strides in league play.

In mid-April, the Miners had a 2-2-1 record in the five-team Region 4. Four of the five teams will get playoff spots, but it’s no easy task going up against Westlake, Pleasant Grove, American Fork and Lone Peak game after game.

“There are areas of the game where I feel pleased with the team’s progress,” said head coach Leo Gonzalez. “We’re coming together and better applying some of the changes we’ve instituted.”

The Miners picked up a 2-0 win over Pleasant Grove on March 16 before losing games in shutout fashion to American Fork (March 21) and Westlake (March 28). The Miners also had a scoreless tie with Lone Peak on March 23, followed by another 2-0 victory over Pleasant Grove, this time on April 11 after Spring Break.

Gonzalez sees bright spots in his team’s performance. He said the key to success will be putting together a complete effort every time on the field.

“We’ve had some great games against some tough teams,” he said. “Our main goal for the second half of the season is to be consistent on being able to play full games, instead of half games. We also need to play at the highest level with back-to-back games. One of the positive outcomes already is that this second half of the season is the first time that we’ve had all our players healthy, including both our varsity goalies. We’ve played a few games with our freshman JV goalie, and I’m proud of what a great job he did.”

In fact, Gonzalez believes despite some early setbacks and the talented foes in Region 4 that his team is capable of defeating anyone. He wants his players to develop a winning mindset.

“We are good enough to compete against anyone,” he said. “At this point of the season, our players know the coaches expectations, and they know what they need to do to secure a spot in the playoff. It’s all about playing with discipline and consistency. Let’s transfer what we do in practice to game situation. Every team has played each other now, so we just need to be better than our competition.” 

Gonzalez highlighted several of his players who have stepped up this season with their on-the-field play and their leadership. He’s especially pleased with some of his younger players, including Taylor Davis, Brayden Davis, Kolin Nelson, Ronaldo Roesner, Spencer Tate and Merrill Davis.

Even though the team has had some ups and downs in the early going, Gonzalez said the players have responded well to adversity and aren’t hanging their heads. The Bingham coaching staff is also new, but the players are learning what’s expected of them. Ultimately, Gonzalez is confident the Miners will continue to get better.

“The players’ attitudes have been great,” he said. “Having a new coaching staff isn’t easy, but I believe they understand and trust the changes we’ve made so far. The best games we’ve had so far were those where we’ve applied all the changes we’ve brought to program. I expect our team to perform better for the rest of the season, and this should transfer into more wins.”

Bingham plays each region opponent three times this season. The Miners conclude their regular season May 9 at Westlake. The Class 6A state tournament begins the following week.