Instead of moving forward, Kory Kindle (Ventura) took a few steps back to find his role on the Cal State Bakersfield men's soccer team.
The junior switched from striker to left defensive back last season.
After a year of learning, experimenting and understanding, Kindle feels much more comfortable on the field this season.
Entering the weekend, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound junior had started all 14 games he's played for the 22nd-ranked Roadrunners while tallying three goals and three assists.
"I feel like I am contributing a lot more," Kindle said. "I don't ever think I was a natural striker. I was just pretty athletic and fast. I didn't really do much with the ball when I first got here. I wasn't technically sound. I think it was a better decision for me to be put at left attacking back."
Despite thinking he would always play striker while being recruited, Kindle wasn't adverse to the move by the Bakersfield coaching staff.
"As long as I am helping the team out, I don't care where I play," Kindle said. "I just want to win and I am happy playing on this team because we are doing very well right now. I have been playing the full 90 minutes in most games, so I couldn't ask for much more."
Kindle wasn't sure that would be the case when he initially arrived on campus as a freshman.
"When I first got here and we were doing double days, I was like, 'Geez, do I really want to do this for the next four years of my life?' " he said. "But as time passed, I have really enjoyed traveling everywhere and I have met some of my closest friends I've ever met here. I love all my teammates."
Kindle played basketball and soccer during the same season in high school. Although soccer is in the fall and basketball is in the winter in college, Kindle has no plans to double up at Bakersfield.
"I have never really had the urge to pursue both sports," said Kindle, a kinesiology major. "Soccer season is pretty hectic with school and stuff. I try to balance it out and it's hard during the season. I couldn't even imagine adding something else."
Kindle is hoping to put his time management skills to the test for as long as possible this season.
"Our goal is to win the conference tournament and get that automatic bid to the NCAA tournament," Kindle said. "That is our main focus. We should have made it last year, but the committee left us out. We don't want that to happen again."
Senior Nicole Sweetman (Oaks Christian) scored the game-winning goal in the 75th minute to lead the Long Beach State women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over UC Riverside. Sophomore defender Erica Kim (Oak Park) has started 16 of 17 games for the Clemson women's soccer team. UCLA freshman forward Ally Courtnall (Oaks Christian) scored a goal in a 6-1 victory over Arizona. Colorado School of Mines junior Sean Gildea (Thousand Oaks) finished seventh at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships in a time of 25 minutes, 32 seconds. Cornell sophomore quarterback Jeff Mathews (Camarillo) was once again named to the Ivy League honor roll after completing 31 of 42 passes for 402 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-24 loss to Brown. ... Redshirt junior quarterback Colby Cameron (Newbury Park) replaced freshman Nick Isham (Westlake) to lead Louisiana Tech to a 24-17 victory over Utah State. Cameron was 4 for 6 for 38 yards to lead La Tech to 10 points in the fourth quarter. Isham was 10 of 22 for 63 yards and sacked twice before being replaced. Isham suffered a shoulder injury at some point in the game.
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