Men’s Soccer
After a disappointing 2009 season, where the Sharks went 8-10-2 overall and 3-5 in the conference, the key word for the men’s soccer team is redemption. Head Coach Joe DePalo and his team are eager to rid themselves of the bitter taste of last year’s disappointing season.
The new season brings with it some hard lessons learned, as well as a new team spirit that should boost competitiveness and resilience in tough game situations. DePalo said that there are eight new faces on the team who are hungry to win. Along with the ten seniors who help make up the nucleus of the team, the mix of old and new players should create a balance of youth and experience to help the Sharks score the ultimate goal — redemption.
Women’s Soccer
On the other side of the soccer field the women’s team is in a similar position. The Sharks are
looking to improve upon their 6-8-1 overall record from last year. Head Coach Mike Goodrich is confident that his team is ready for the upcoming season. Goodrich expects his players to work hard and improve with every game in a tough conference that provides highly-contested games.
The veterans on the team have developed the necessary roles as leaders to help new players progress. It also helps that the new players are eager to learn and work hard. Goodrich thinks that the mix of veterans and rookies will assist in their campaign for a successful season.
Women’s Volleyball
The bar has been set high. The women’s volleyball team wants to be national champions. 
After many successful seasons and invitations to the NCAA tournament, Head Coach Steve Wilcosky said the team plans to reach this goal with some new, younger players who have helped create a superb chemistry.
He said that the chemistry shared on the team will make them more mentally tough and will allow them to fight harder for wins. The team is prepared for victory with a national-champs-or-bust mentality.
Men’s Cross-Country
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. But sometimes maintaining that consistency is the most difficult
thing to do. The men’s cross-country team expects to return to the national meet and finish in the top two in the regional conference like they did a year ago. Head Coach Bryan Hagopian said that with a majority of the athletes returning, a more mature and experienced team should make up for the loss of a key athlete and guide the team back to success.
Coach Hagopian is looking forward to seeing how the team performs, how they have matured over the last year, and how good the new runners are. The pressure is on for the Sharks to repeat and possibly go the distance.
Women’s Cross Country
Like the smell of a brand-new car? What about the smell of a brand-new team? Head Coach Bryan
Hagopian does. He is excited for a rare opportunity to begin a season with completely fresh faces. Even though the team is new (since no players returned), the expectations are high because of the talent that each runner brings to the team.
Despite the lack of experience, this group of athletes has already become a close-knit unit and Coach Hagopian believes they have the mental toughness, along with the talent, to find success. A lot of the new players were top athletes in high school and Coach Hagopian hopes that they will bring that championship mentality to this team.
The fall sports teams are geared up. All that’s missing now is a huge group of NSU shark fans to fill the stands and cheer on the teams.
