BUCCANEERS EYE ANOTHER TRIP TO POSTSEASON, DEEPER RUN WITH REVAMPED SQUAD
As far as Blinn College men’s soccer head coach Michael McBride sees it, success isn’t just a goal. It’s an expectation.
McBride and the Buccaneers will take that mindset into a new campaign in which Blinn seeks to reach double-digit victories for a fifth consecutive season and qualify for the postseason for an eighth time.
McBride has been at the helm of the program since its launch in 2018, and the veteran coach has posted a 65-43-8 record while taking Blinn to the postseason in each of his seasons.
The Bucs open the regular season with a non-region home tilt against Hill College at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Rankin Field inside Hohlt Park in Brenham, Texas. Blinn will take the pitch with its sights set on improving on its 11-7-3 overall record from one season ago, which included a first-round loss in the Gulf South District Tournament.
McBride believes he has the right mix – including 12 returners – to push the Bucs further up the ladder this fall.
“We’re young, but we’re also very eager to learn and very coachable,” McBride explained. “The ceilings for these players is what gets you excited as a coach. I don’t believe we’re the team right now that we’re going to be in a couple months’ time, and that’s because the kids are very malleable and ready to be shaped.”
One of McBride’s first priorities will be revamping his team’s offensive attack. Following the departure of freshman Ethan Lindo, 2024’s top scorer who turned pro after his lone season at Blinn, the Bucs will need to develop new reliable hands on the offensive side of the pitch.
Following Lindo’s team-high 14 goals last season was forward Devon Arnold with eight. Arnold, a returning sophomore, is back this fall.
Fellow sophomore Nawfal Hadj-Hamou found the net three times in his freshman season – as did six other Buccaneers – while 21 players had at least one goal. Hadj-Hamou, a midfielder, believes that type of equal-opportunity offense could be an early key to success for Blinn as it develops consistent options.
“The way this team is set up for success under the leadership of coach McBride, I think the offense will be spread out,” Hadj-Hamou explained. “There are going to be some guys at some point that will emerge as our go-to scorers, but I think there is also a chemistry among the players that will allow for players to get involved.”
The Bucs averaged 3.19 goals per match in 2024 with 4.48 assists.
McBride said his team’s offensive strategy this season will revolve around ball retention and heavy pressure in the attacking third of the pitch.
On defense, Blinn experienced a strong season in 2024 with just 36 goals allowed (1.71 per match). That effort was fortified behind the play of freshman goalkeeper Connor Vela, who was thrust into action after a season-ending injury to sophomore Noah LeMaster put Vela in goal for opening day.
Vela has since moved on to continue his playing career in Spain, while LeMaster has returned to complete his run at Blinn. LeMaster was dynamic in his freshman season with the Bucs in 2023, posting a 14-7 record with 94 saves and just 25 goals against.
There are five keepers on the roster this season, including sophomore Brenden Ferguson.
“We have five guys who are extremely hungry and want to earn minutes on the pitch,” LeMaster said. “That’s something you always want to see. Nobody is complacent. I’ve been pushed to my limits by guys who want to be out there on the pitch, and that makes everybody better. I think we’re primed to have a big year in goal for this squad.”
Blinn finished 7-5 in an always-competitive Region XIV in 2024, good for third place in the South Division. The Bucs will open region play at home against No. 5 Tyler Junior College — last year’s NJCAA Division I national championship runner-up — at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28.
“We know the region is tough, with some nationally ranked teams in the mix, but our goal is still going to be to win every match,” Hadj-Hamou said. “If we treat every match the same with the same amount of importance, and keep ourselves from getting too hyped or too intimidated by a matchup, I think we’ll find ourselves in a position to win a lot of games.”
Story courtesy of Blinn Information