One of the selections for athlete of the week was senior Ryan Kim from the men’s soccer team.
“This season, so far we started off a little slower,” said Kim when asked about how the season’s been going. “We kind of had a bumpy start where we were not necessarily performing up to our standard, and we weren’t as cohesive of a team as I remembered us being, but that also comes with starting a new season, new players, new additions. So far, as the season’s gone on, we’ve really hit our stride, and we’ve really been working hard at the parts that don’t include being on the ball. We’ve been working more on our spacing, our pressing, our defensive work, our offensive work. Just basically being there for each other and supporting each other as much as possible all the time.”
When asked about the difference-makers on the team, Kim said, “Right now, topping our goal-scoring is Salat [Kipterit], the left-winger […] It hasn’t necessarily been showing up on the stat sheets too well for him, but Austin Dunlap definitely gets it done on the defensive end and is a workhorse through and through. I would also say Jason Flaming is always critical. Dalton Fleshood, he gets it done. Cameron Johnson, he’s been crucial, like sixth-man of the year. He’s come off the bench and equaled some of the starting guys in terms of goals and points. Honestly, I could pretty much name the entire starting 11.”
“I think it was probably putting the ball in the back of the net,” said Kim when asked why he thought he was selected as one of Asbury’s athletes of the week. “In our game against Maryville, which only was 1-0, I scored the only goal […] We had a conference game against LaGrange and, personally, I was not really playing my best game. I was having an okay game, and then I ended up scoring the fifth and last goal in the 80th minute or so. I think it’s just been a little hot streak that led to this.”
When asked about goals for the season, Kim said, “Our number one end goal is to go to D3 nationals […] Another one of our goals is just to end well. We have a lot of seniors […] seven or eight that I can think of off the top of my head on the starting lineup, and that’s not even including crucial bench players. It’s definitely a transitional year coming next year. Including myself, being a senior, I really want to end well, make great memories with these guys and go out with a bang.”
“Thank you so much for your support,” said Kim when asked what he wanted to say to the student body. “We really appreciate seeing you guys out there on the sidelines. You can rest assured that the representation of Asbury is not being taken lightly and that when we step out on that field, we do step on it for our coach, for ourselves and for our brothers, but we also step out on there for you, the Asbury student body. We really appreciate, like I said, seeing you guys on the sidelines, feeling that support, feeling the love. But at the end of the day, we also are your peers. We do not see ourselves as better or anything more. We are very grateful.”
The men’s soccer team plays their next home game against Huntingdon College on Oct. 26 at 2 p.m.
