A chilly start is predicted for sports this spring in Cedar Rapids. Even with the cold weather, the time has almost come for Xavier boys’ soccer to start up once again. The defeat from last year is still fresh in the minds of seniors Andrija Mijatovic and Kristijan Smolcic, who are both from Zagreb, Croatia. They both were foreign exchange students at Xavier as juniors and are excited for a fresh season of opportunity.

For the two Croatians, the adjustment to the style of play in America was not an easy one.

“It is a completely different style of play here than it is in Croatia,” Smolcic said. “People do a lot more dribbling here.”

Mijatovic agrees American soccer has quite a few differences from soccer in Croatia.

“Back home we try to spend less energy on running and more on quick passing around players and long balls into space to spread the opposite team’s defense out,” Mijatovic said. “Then we can find a gap to play into the space of our striker of wingers.”

The collective goal of the team is to make it to state for the 15th year in a row. Mijatovic believes reaching this goal will be possible, as there are many improved and new players for Xavier.

“The freshmen from last year grew: in skill, mentally and physically,” Mijatovic said. “There are more freshmen coming up, and I feel like everyone has good passing and foot skills, which will help a lot this year.”

To prepare for the season, the team will be working on improving their stamina as well as preparing physically. They will also be trying to form a bond between everyone on the team.

“We need to get to know each other so we can work together well on the field,” Mijatovic said.

The confidence is high, but starting strong will be essential in maintaining that mentality.

The boys will start their season with the Kingston Jamboree, on Thursday, March 28 at 4:20 p.m.