Men’s soccer looks to build consistency early in the season
Brady Goldblatt, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Chaos Soccer Gear on Unsplash
The North Greenville University men’s soccer team has had six games into the 2026 season so far and the Trailblazers are still working to find consistency as conference play continues to approach. The Trailblazers are currently 1-4-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play, with their only win being Belmont Abbey. They have also tied Lees-McRae and lost to Catawba, Mars Hill, Lander and Emmanuel.
NGU’s biggest highlight as of right now was against Belmont Abbey on Sept. 8. The Trailblazers were able to secure a nice win against Belmont, defeating them with a score of 2-0. This gave the Trailblazers their first win of the season.
For junior mid/forward, Riley Kiniry, the season has been challenging because of the number of new players on the team.
“The season has been challenging, and inconsistent, with a lot of new faces on the team, and a lot of community,” Kiniry said.
Kiniry said the team needs to continue working on building chemistry and becoming more comfortable playing together.
Hezekiah Weeks said his biggest highlight so far has been the win over Belmont Abbey.
Both players said they are still on track to reach the personal goals they set before the season. Weeks said his goal of becoming a better leader is moving in the right direction, while Kiniry said he is working toward becoming a first-team player.
Weeks pointed to his continued fitness as that surprised him in his performance.
Kiniry said he has played with more confidence this season because of the experience he already has and his ability to adjust to the speed of play.
The two players also mentioned teammates who have made an impact. Kiniry highlighted freshman Josh Costas, who has been contributing as a right back on the second team.
“Josh Costas has helped out a lot this season as a freshman, a right back player doing good things for the second team,” Kiniry said.
Weeks pointed to senior midfielder Kai Goodman, who has made an impact on the first team.
“Kai Goodman has made a big impact on the first team as a midfielder, controlling his tempo,” Weeks said.
Goodman has also contributed offensively this season, scoring a penalty kick against Lander.
For Kiniry and Weeks, the focus is on improving individually.
NGU will look to use the early part of the season as motivation going forward.
Andrew Aulick, the men’s soccer coach, said that he tries not to let one game define its season and instead focuses on learning from mistakes and continuing to improve.
“We try not to let one result define us,” Aulick said. “The focus is on growth, both individually and as a team.”
Aulick also said the team has a motto for the season: “Energy and passion are non-negotiable.” He said the team wants to control its effort, attitude and competitiveness every day.
The coach also expects returning players to take on bigger leadership roles this season as the team adjusts to losing players from last year.
“We are challenging all of our returning players to take greater ownership and leadership within the group,” Aulick said.
The Trailblazers’ most recent game was a 0-0 tie against Lees-McRae on Sept. 16. North Greenville will continue conference play with more opportunities to improve its record and build chemistry.
Aulick said the biggest key to success will be the team’s ability to grow together and stay unified.
“The biggest key is going to be our growth together,” Aulick said.
