Finger Lakes men’s soccer is rewriting its record book this fall. A 10–1 start marks the best opening in program history, and the Lakers have climbed to No. 2 in the NJCAA Division III rankings, earning national recognition like never before.
Head coach Joe Balls credits the surge to a roster that blends flair with discipline.
“Our style relies heavily on a free-flowing attack, but also our structure when out of possession,” Balls said. “This group is defined by its depth. Training is highly competitive, and we’re able to rotate during games without a drop-off in intensity or quality.”
The statistics back him up. Robin Giesing of Essen, Germany, leads the nation in goals (19) and points (42). Teammate Daniel Ojedayo of Ibadan, Nigeria, is second nationally in both categories with 11 goals and 24 points. England’s Finn Atkinson sits atop Division III in assists (10), while Brazil’s Bernardo Reffiel Del Castel and Argentina’s Germán Guzzi rank second and third. In all, four of the top five players on the national points leaderboard wear Lakers green.
But the team’s success runs deeper than the numbers. Balls points to veterans Ojedayo, Nathan Salter, Mark Musembi, Varun Naidoo and goalkeeper Joshua Koobs as the leadership core driving standards on and off the field.
“Our captains and sophomores drive the standard every day, whether it’s training, a match, or off the pitch,” Balls said. “The freshmen have bought into that culture and are already developing into leaders themselves.”
The Lakers’ lone loss came against Division I opponent Monroe, but against Division III competition, they have been dominant, outscoring foes 62–5 with seven shutouts. That stretch includes a win over then-No. 3 Cayuga, who suffered their only defeat of the season to Finger Lakes, and sets up another showdown with No. 5 Herkimer, last year’s Region III final victim.
To Balls, the challenge now is sustaining the run.
“A quote I’ve had on my whiteboard since last year is, ‘It is harder to stay at the top than it is to get there,’” he said. “There’s a different type of pressure when you’re expected to win every game. The boys have done a great job of staying grounded. Records and rankings are nice, but until we achieve what we agreed on at the beginning of the season, we have to keep earning it every day.”
Part of what makes this group unique is its diversity. The roster spans multiple continents, but Balls says their shared goals have forged unity.
“Despite being from all over the world, their common language is football,” he said. “Everyone wants to achieve the same thing, and that’s allowed them to respect and understand each other’s differences while keeping our eyes firmly set on the same end goal.”
That identity has resonated beyond the locker room. Finger Lakes leads the nation in home attendance and will host a fundraiser scrimmage with St. John Fisher University on Sept. 27 to benefit the American Cancer Society.
Before then, the Lakers face one of their biggest challenges yet: a top-10 matchup under the lights at No. 9 Genesee Community College on Wednesday, their toughest test in the second half of the regular season.
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