Wolves win home opener
Michael Solomon is a man of his word.
The 21-year-old Niagara Falls native boldly predicted another strong season for himself and his Club Roma teammates, then went out and backed up his words.
“You’re going to see it tonight, you’re going to see it this season,” Solomon said Sunday night before netting a goal as the St. Catharines Club Roma Wolves topped London FC 2-1 in their League1 Ontario Men’s Premier League home opener at Kiwanis Field. “I’ll be trying my best to score those goals.”
The win was the first of the year for the Wolves who began the season last week with a 3-0 loss at Alliance United FC.
Solomon netted six goals last year and has set the bar high again this time around.
“Looking for another great season, hopefully no injuries this time,” the fourth-year kinesiology student at Brock said. “I think we’ve gained experience physicality wise and mentally. I feel more wise on the field and I know some of the other guys feel the same.
“It’s like a brotherhood this time around.”
Solomon played in just 11 games last year after injuring his ankle, but is 100 per cent as the new season gets underway.
“It’s always frustrating for an athlete to deal with injuries but there is a great staff here at Roma and they’re keeping us healthy and in shape ready for the season,” he said.
Solomon may get the headlines as a high-scoring striker, but is wise enough to realize it’s not all about him.
“I’m only as good as the other 10 guys on the field,” he said. “If they’re rocking, if they’re beating, I’m feeding off them. We’re all radiating energy off each other. If I can do my job and score goals, they can do their job and defend and we’re going to have a good season.”
Roma coach Federico Turriziani appreciates what Solomon brings to the pitch.
“Not easy to find strikers. It’s hard to find strikers who can score,” he said. “We missed him a lot because he missed so many games last year and he still scored six goals. It’s important to have a player like him who can score, even from a long distance. It’s not easy to score for anybody and it’s the same for us.”
Turriziani sees big things for Solomon this year.
“He’s an important player,” Turriziani said. “He’s in shape and we hope he can help out a lot this season. He’s started out good. He’s very committed and very excited to play.”
The Wolves are determined to get off to a strong start in their bid to qualify for the playoffs.
“For a lot of us, we’re aging and we don’t know how long we have left and for this could be one last kick at the can,” Solomon said. “We’re just trying to do our best to stay as a brotherhood and get results.
“The last couple of seasons there have been some games where when we go back we know we should have won those games. Getting off to a head start is crucial.”
The victory was a good bounce back from the opening loss.
“There’s always a blessing in defeat and we learned what we can and can’t do. We have a different mindset and are ready to get going,” Solomon said.
Matteo Fracasinni also scored for the Wolves while Kuhle Bekwayo replied for London.
St. Catharines visits Windsor City Sunday before hosting BVB IA Waterloo Friday, May 5 at Sir Winston Churchill at 8:45 p.m.
The Wolves women’s squad opened their season last week with a 3-0 loss at NDC-Ontario. They visit Waterloo Wednesday and Vaughan-Azzuri Sunday before hosting Blue Devils FC Saturday, May 6 at Kiwanis Park at 8 p.m.
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