North Vermilion soccer primed for a title run

"Pain is temporary, Pride is forever."
That statement is engrained in the culture of North Vermilion soccer, and with a 11-2 record as well as a No. 10 rating in the Division III power ratings, the team has been proof of that mantra.
There were a few question marks about the team getting off to a good start because of the amount of football players that were joining the team late, but the Patriots opened the year with a 7-0 win over David Thibodeaux.
"It was tough for us starting out because our football players were still involved in football at the time," said head coach Mark Patin. "They had no soccer practice at all until the week of the first game, and due to weather, we might have had one practice that week leading into the first game of the season.
"We did the best we could with conditioning and skills the first week they joined. A lot of these players have played for me for five or six years. They know they have to be in shape. With football, conditioning helps them."
The Patriots first loss of the season occured during the Copa Acadiana Tournament at Beau Chene High School at the hands of Leesville. The score was 2-1, but Patin said that was the moment of the season where he believed the team had truly clicked.
"We gave everything that we knew about soccer on conditioning, skills, teamwork, the whole nine yards," Patin said. "We took a 2-1 loss, but that’s the kind of game that puts us on the map,when we play someone from the northern area that has a great record."
North Vermilion is a deep team, and they are led by a six-pack of players at different positions.
Conner Patin and Diego Amador are the lead feedmen. Seth Patin and Andreas Amador are the finishers who control the center-midfield area.
The backfield players are Caleb Castro and Connor Dupuy.
Despite a top 10 ranking in the power ratings, Patin said he doesn't pay the early ratings any attention until it truly matters at the end.
"I don’t look to social media to judge where my team plays," he said. "That can change in a night. I look at it as not meaning anything until the end of the season."
The Patriots have eight games left in the regular season, including a tough three-game stretch later this month that involves Episcopal of Acadiana (ESA), St. Louis and Glenmora.
ESA currently has 11 wins with a loss and five ties. Those games will have strong playoff implications and will be a gauge for North Vermilion’s possible playoff success.
Patin has simple but extremely effective advice for his team that will help them for the rest of the season and beyond.
"Keep playing as a team," he said. "You can’t let the wins get to your head. You have to keep playing like your record is 0-0. You can’t look ahead. You have to play each game like it’s your last."
North Vermilion plays Lafayette Christian Academy Tuesday at home. The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.