Last season, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s soccer team got a taste of the good side of fate. This year, they might not be so lucky.

After charging to an 11-5 season, their best in a decade, last year, the squad now finds itself rebuilding after losing nearly all of its top stars, and coach, from 2004-05.

&uot;Almost my whole junior varsity squad moved up,&uot; said assistant coach Mike Curry (Richard Starkey is heading up the squad). &uot;We’re very small in numbers, but we should still be competitive, and we’ll have an older varsity squad next year.&uot;

Ben Trujillo, a supporting character in last year’s TCIS third-place cast, hopes to take on a starring roll for 2005-6.

&uot;A lot of these guys have to fill the spots for the seniors,&uot; he said. &uot;They have experience from playing on travel teams and stuff. We want to bring some of the magic from last year back.&uot;

So does fellow senior Reid Leonard.

&uot;I want to show the underclassmen how to play and help them read the game better,&uot; he said. &uot;We’ll have a tremendous setup.&uot;

jason.norman@suffolknewsherald.com