By John Goralski Sports Writer Coach Sal Penta pauses when a visitor asks about his expectations this fall. A puzzled expression washes across his face as he stares out at his team warming up for a preseason practice. Last year, Penta’s high expectations seemed to tumble toward the season finale when an experienced senior class fell just short of a postseason berth. Gone is one of the program’s most prolific scorers. Gone are the midfielders and some talented defenders. They’ve been replaced by a talented batch of unknowns. Penta has high expectations every fall, but memories of last year have made him hesitant to cast big predictions. “This is a season where my expectations are unknown because this team is unknown,” he said. “There are a lot of different pieces to the puzzle. We talk about getting back to the tournament each year, and that’s going to continue to be our main goal. After we get there, we’ll talk about our expectations. I’m as excited to find out as anybody else.” Team chemistry will be a top concern as 16 or 17 varsity players compete for every position on the field. No spot is secure as opening day looms. No [...]
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