Despite having one of the biggest returning varsity rosters in the program’s rich history under Head Coach Mark Solomon, the Pella boys soccer team will still have some big shoes to fill and production to replace as they push to return to the state tournament this year.
Solomon says he’s excited to see how a returning group of varsity players featuring at least eight current seniors works to replace a graduating class that featured Logan Solomon and his 29 goals, as well as three other classmates who had significant minutes on the pitch in 2023.
Pella’s boys soccer team hosts a scrimmage on Friday against Albia before opening the competitive slate Tuesday at Ankeny.
Key returners:
Max Lauman, Senior
The first-team All-State selection in 2023 has made life difficult on the top scoring threats of Class 2A and 3A soccer over the past few seasons, and gives Head Coach Mark Solomon a certain amount of calm when looking at the defensive backline. Max is expected to ensure some of the area’s best strikers will find it hard to get open looks, with the hopes the overall defense improves to offset some of the offensive firepower lost from last spring, at least in the early going.
Teddy Apostolopoulos, Senior
A future Central Dutch athlete may have some of the biggest shoes to fill production wise on the Dutch roster, but he should be up for the challenge. A first-team All-Little Hawkeye Conference selection in 2023, Teddy will once again patrol the midfield and look to build on seven goals and six assists tallied in 16 matches. Apostolopoulos has started in every match he’s been healthy since his freshman season, and will look to use that experience to bolster a Dutch offense looking for solutions in replacing 33 of their 52 goals scored last spring.
Austin Bone, Senior
Bone is another three year starter heading into the spring and was a second team All-Conference pick in 2023. Austin has tallied 20 career goals and 12 assists and is among the most experienced Dutch athletes returning this year, with 55 appearances for the green and white since his freshman season. Both he and Teddy will both aim to elevate the Dutch midfield and find ways to boost scoring chances in 2024. Bone will look to get closer to the ten goals he scored as a sophomore and to be a key leader on the frontline for the green and white.
Levi Hansen, Senior
Nobody has played more games as a high school varsity athlete on the 2024 Pella squad than Levi, who has appeared in 56 matches over three seasons. Hansen plays further back in the midfield for Pella than the two scoring threats mentioned above, but his contributions, along with the rest of the current senior class, will be needed if Pella can find their way to Des Moines for the state tournament after narrowly missing the chance last spring. Levi does have two career goals and is a threat to help with breakaway attacks. Hansen’s experience will be key as the Dutch sort out an often difficult schedule and look to find wins in close matches they ultimately lost last year.
Tyson Barnes, Junior
While this year’s senior class is large, a few underclassmen will get a chance to shine, including this junior who was a key factor in getting both the football team back into the playoffs and basketball team to the state tournament. Barnes wowed crowds as a freshman with a long range goal he scored as a freshman, and since then, his physical presence has started to match the talent. With four career goals and assists each, look for those numbers to balloon in 2024 as the six-foot-three forward looks to use those skills to fill the gaps lost in the offensive attack from last spring.