(COVINGTON, La.) — As the SPS soccer Wolves prepare to kickoff the new season, players look back at their major success in the past, having been ranked number one in the country last season and winning two consecutive state championships. With the opening game looming on Monday, Nov. 17, players try to cope with the turnover of lost players and the rebuilding of their team.

“The team definitely lost some key players, but we have some new talented athletes coming in,” said senior varsity soccer player Jonathan King. “We’re shooting for a three-peat.”

For the third straight year, the St. Paul’s Wolves will host Grace King for the start of the regular season on Nov. 17. The JV soccer game kicks off at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Varsity game at 7 p.m.

The Fighting Irish  of Grace King ended last year’s season with a 18-7-2 record, landing a top 10 spot in the state. 

“Grace King is a good team who is always ranked high in the state,” varsity soccer head coach Sean Moser said. “It’s going to be a competitive game.”

The Wolves finished the 2014 regular season with a record of 30-0-3, later coming home with a Division I state championship title, defeating Jesuit 3-0 in the finals, and landing in the number one spot in the nation.

As players and coaches anxiously await the start of the new season, tension continues to rise.

“After last year’s team, the stakes are definitely higher for a repeat,” said senior varsity soccer player Nash Odenwald. “Everyone is feeling anxious, but we’re all really excited to play.”

Other players, although nervous, feel the team can do just as well as last year’s team.

“It’s going to be hard to keep up the momentum after last season’s performance, but we’re expecting big things this year,” King said.

The past three years, SPS has kicked off their season facing the Irish. In each match, SPS left victorious with the final scores of 3-0, 3-0, and 1-0, respectively.

As of now, tryouts are currently being held until Wednesday, Nov. 4. Once the official teams are announced, daily training sessions will be put to the task in preparations for the Nov. 17 kickoff.