The key to a great team is having players who are willing to play specific roles, focus on their job and do it well.
If everyone does their job, the team will succeed. And if the team succeeds, the players will succeed.
While it’s not always easy to do, it’s a simple thing.
The newest member of the Nipissing Lakers men’s soccer team has the potential to fill in any role the team needs, meaning he can become very valuable down the road for a program looking to take the next step.
The Lakers have signed Max Melnychenko, a player who has played forward, winger and goalkeeper during his soccer career.
The Newmarket, Ontario native is counting down the day until he can throw on a Lakers jersey and hit the field with his teammates.
“I am very excited and I’m looking forward to playing with the Nipissing university soccer team and learning from the great coaching staff. This is obviously also a big moment for my family and they are happy that I chose Nipissing university.”
Melnychenko comes to the Lakers with a simple game, not relying on as much creativity, but more on the fundamentals.
“I would describe myself as a simple player, I don’t try to make fancy moves but I try to make opportunities instead of finding opportunities. I like to find through balls to put my teammates in the best possession possible to score a goal,” he explained.
Lakers head coach Carlo DeVuono, who has guided the team to the playoffs in four straight seasons, looks forward to adding a student-athlete like Melnychenko.
“Max is very versatile. He can play a number of different positions at a high level. Max is also looking to make an impact right away, and he will get the opportunity to do so as we are the deepest we have ever been and we are looking to play a high tempo brand of soccer.”
Melnychenko will be enrolling in business at Nipissing.
While being new to the OUA/CIS, Melnychenko will have some familiar faces to rely on when he begins his career with the Lakers, having suited up with a number of them in the past.
“As I have played with some of the players already on the team, I have an idea of what it is like to play with them and I can see that they are very welcoming and helped me blend in nicely. I am also expecting them to be eager to teach me and I will be open to learn so I can learn as much as possible from them,” he explained. “I also need to make sure to use my time management skills so I can juggle school and soccer.”
The U21 Markham provincial team player is excited and anxious to begin both university and his OUA career with the Lakers in the fall.
