The Sacramento State men’s soccer team is using spring training to build a strong team after losing three graduating seniors last season.

Senior midfielder Adam Bettencourt and junior midfielder Matthew Tellez said it will not be hard to fill the players’ shoes because the team has been training together all year.

“We’re kind of trying to fill their roles,” Tellez said. “Two of them were playing in the midfield with me so we’re looking for guys who can step up and take their positions. We’re also trying to find a center back who can fill Diego’s (Marroquin) position.  All three were starters so we are hoping the new guys can come in and perform as well as they did.”

Linenberger said Diego Marroquin, Fernando Cabadas and Ernesto Carranza were very good players. He said Cabadas and Carranza were some of the best players that the soccer program has had and they were drafted into Major League Soccer.

“We only lost three seniors so we expect to have a good team again,” said head coach Michael Linenberger. “They are big shoes to fill but at the same time it was only three.”

The team has 22 returning players for spring training. The team has four new players who will be added to the fall season roster, giving the team 26 players for the spring season.

“We use the spring to get the guys that did not get to play much in the fall a chance and get them in some games,” Linenberger said. “The players get a full three months of training and play in six games so they get an opportunity to get their feet wet.”

The team has been working out in the weight room, running and working on attacking both sides of the ball to get in shape for the fall season.

“Spring practice is the same as fall practice, our coaches always emphasize working hard,” Tellez said. “We are not one of those teams that are gifted with the best players but all of our players have one quality and that’s working hard. Working hard every day is pretty much our main focus. Soccer is more of a collective kind of sport so we look for everyone to complete their roles and make sure they get their job done.”

Linenberger said he expects Adam Bettencourt, Tellez, Rory O’Day, and Chris Bettencourt to step up this season as key players. He expects O’Day to anchor the back line, Adam Bettencourt and Tellez to run the center of the midfield, and Chris Bettencourt to be the main goal scoring threat.

Both Adam Bettencourt and Tellez said it is going to be more of a team effort.

“It’s going to be a majority of how well we gel together as a team,” Adam Bettencourt said.  “I don’t think it’s going to solely rest on one or two players.”

Linenberger also said he expects Max Alvarez to be an asset to the team because two years ago during his freshman season, Alvarez was the top scorer on the team with 10 goals. Alvarez did not get much playing time and only made one goal last season due to a hamstring injury.

“We feel we’ve got a good core of returning guys,” Linenberger said. “The new guys we have this spring are doing well and we hope they will come in and have an immediate impact in the fall.”

You can reach Stacey Adams at [email protected]