Last season was difficult — one of the roughest ever for the Skyline boys soccer program. For the first time in nine years the Spartans finished with a losing record (4-11-1), while breaking an eight-year playoff streak.

But, with a year of maturity under their belts, things are already off to a more promising start for the Skyline players.

The Spartans are 4-1-1 through their first six games, and aspirations are soaring high.

“If they can work hard for each other, then some really crazy things can happen for us — crazy in a good way,” head coach Don Braman said.

Skyline returns key components from last year’s group, including senior captains Ben Molyneux Elliot and Mitchell Kim. The duo will anchor the middle of the defense and the midfield, respectively.

Junior midfielder Travis Strawn and junior forward Braxton Griffin will also share captain duties.

Griffin and Strawn have scored two goals apiece for the Spartans this season, including what Braman called one of the best goals he’s ever seen, coming off the foot of Griffin in a March 23 game against rival Eastlake.

The Spartans return several other players from last year’s team, while adding some key newcomers.

Senior Tim Kountz, junior Evan Kamber and Michael Stoddard return to the defensive line, while senior forward Giancarlo Santoro returns to the front line. Junior goalkeeper Mackenzie Stika also returns after backing up all-league goalkeeper Brian Schwartz, who graduated last year. Once Stika overcomes injury issues, he should see significant time in front of the net.

The team also gains some talent, including junior midfielder Jake Bechtel, who missed last season due to a transfer paperwork issue. Sophomore forward Pedro Miola already has two goals and an assist for the Spartans, and junior goalkeeper Steven Pankiewicz is also expected to play a key role on this year’s team after moving over from junior varsity. Brothers Caleb and Cole Clearman have also provided offensive productivity for Skyline early in the season.

Braman believes the potential of the team is endless, if they can overcome a few obstacles.

“This team is very talented, but kind of young in that respect that they haven’t had the experience of winning and how to get it done when things aren’t going the way you want,” he said. “The team’s got the talent to destroy good teams, then there’s just some huge question marks — can they do it when it doesn’t come easy?”