There are 18 fields at the Auburn Soccer Complex on Wire Road, but on this Thursday, Oct. 3, night, only one is occupied.
While dozens of youth recreational and club teams have come and gone throughout the evening, a group of college students are still on the field, going through several fast-paced drills.
This is the Auburn men's club soccer team.
Because the SEC does not support men's soccer as an official scholarship sport --two schools, Kentucky and South Carolina, field teams in other conferences-- Auburn's top players take the field just for the love of the game and school pride.
"It's one of those things where it keeps us fit, and it really keeps that competitive level of soccer in our lives without the drawbacks and time commitments of being on a Division I, II or III team," said junior goalkeeper Brenton Thompson.
After a successful run to the NIRSA National Club Soccer Championships last November, this Auburn squad is eyeing a trip to Phoenix for this year's tournament after a semifinal finish in a recent seeding tournament at the University of Florida.
Auburn was the only team in Gainesville to go undefeated and untied in pool play, defeating South Florida, Georgia Tech and Florida Gulf Coast before a heartbreaking penalty kick shootout loss to the tournament hosts.
"We were killing our group," said senior center back Paul Drenning. "[The semifinal loss] was a little disappointing of an end, but it was a good first tournament. We haven't had a real serious game yet, so I'm happy with the way we've played so far."
Drenning and Thompson, along with senior forward David Jackson, are the captains of this year's squad, which features a number of talented underclassmen.
"We have got a lot of real talent with these new guys," Drenning said. "They've jumped right in and started playing with us well. It's impressive."
The Auburn club team also has a new face at head coach.
"It's been a tremendous experience so far in getting to know and coach these young men," said new head coach Mac Matthews. "In terms of their talent, it's tremendous. I don't think I've ever worked with a group with this much individual talent.
"The question is--can we mold that talent into a great team?"
According to Matthews, his new team has the potential for greatness, as evidenced by their performances in the Florida tournament.
"It was exactly what we wanted, despite the fact we went out in the semis," Matthews said. "We were just very tired in the last game--we dominated (Florida), but we fell in penalty kicks, which I don't really consider as a loss. This puts us fourth in the region at this point, which is where we want to be. It gives us a good seed and puts us in a great position to get to nationals."
As Auburn prepares for its next test of the season, the players are focusing on meshing together as one team.
"This team is awesome chemistry-wise," Jackson said. "We are all friends with each other, and I think that is showing on the field. We know each other and what the other person is going to do next."
Drenning, a fourth-year veteran of the club team, sees outstanding potential with this year's squad as it prepares for a trip from Wire Road to the Arizona desert.
"We had a really good season last year -- went to nationals, and I think we could repeat that easily," Drenning said. "Obviously we've got a couple of kinks to work out, but come game time, we will be good to go."
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