The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

Towering expectations for burly back line

Eric Pothast (#12) and Axel Sjoberg (#4) make a great tandem on Marquette's backline. Photo by Ryan Glazier / [email protected]

Great things take time.

But on April 2, after only four spring matches together plus practice time, coach Louis Bennett proclaimed that freshmen defensemen Axel Sjoberg and Eric Pothast would make a great defensive tandem during their time at Marquette.

“I think this year they’ll prove that they’re two of the best central defenders in the Big East,” Bennett said. “I really do. I think people will be surprised.”

The tandem has been vital to Marquette’s success this spring. The defensive unit has allowed one goal through seven spring games.

“They’re both really fast learners and have an appetite to get better,” Bennett said. “They can absorb information, process it and apply it.”

Not only are the two players intelligent, but they never rest.

“They both work unbelievably hard; you never ever doubt their character and you never ever doubt their work ethic,” Bennett said. “So when you add their skill set and their talent, that’s a bonus.”

Bennett described both players as “quiet,” but when they’re on the field, they provide valuable insights to their teammates without shouting and screaming. Sometimes, they can be too quiet.

“They’re both very calm,” Bennett said. “It’s like you have to check to see if their blood is still flowing. But they’re tough.”

The 6-foot-7-inch Sjoberg and 6-foot-3-inch Pothast present the tallest defensive tandem Marquette has had in the last six years. With Sjoberg’s extra-large frame come concerns about his ability to handle quicker players, but Pothast is quick to shoot those concerns down.

“For a big guy, he can move, and that’s a really valuable tool to have as a defender,” Pothast said of Sjoberg. “So even if he’s paired up against a faster guy, he knows how to use his body in order to play to his advantage.”

The tandem has only played together for seven spring matches plus practices, but the two players have already found a natural comfort with each other.

“I think Eric and I complement each other very well,” Sjoberg said. “In a short amount of time, we’ve found a connection with how to move within relationship to each other.”

In the fall, Pothast played central defender for the first time in his soccer career and now makes it his home. Despite that, if not for the contraction of mononucleosis on Oct. 11 that forced him to miss five Big East games, Bennett said he would have received conference honors.

“I thought he was grossly (underrated),” Bennett said. “I thought he was one of the best central defenders, and if he hadn’t gotten mono and had played more Big East games, I think he would have certainly been on the Big East all-newcomer team.”

Neither player is afraid to get his nose dirty, but both are gentlemen underneath their physical exteriors.

“(Pothast is) the nicest guy, breaks you into pieces and then picks you up and says, ‘Are you all right?’ And then does it again and again until the game’s over. (Sjoberg is) the same way,” Bennett said. “It’s not brutal, and it’s not (goon-like). It’s a skill set that these guys got, a defensive skill set that they’re procuring, which I really like.”

Story continues below advertisement
Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All Marquette Wire Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *