The Justice

Media Credit: David Sheppard-Brick

Before last season's opener against Endicott College, men's soccer forward Ben Premo '09 suffered a severe ankle sprain that hindered his performance throughout the season. The Judges' leading scorer in 2006 struggled with only nine points and two goals in 2007, and the team fell to 8-9-3 after winning an Eastern College Athletic Conference championship the year before.

After only one game this season, Premo has already eclipsed his goal total from last season. Coach Mike Coven put it simply, saying, "Premo is back."

Premo led the Judges to a 5-0 victory last Saturday at home over Endicott College, recording his fourth career hat trick and becoming the ninth player in team history to reach 80 career points.

"You saw today what he can do when he's not hurt," Coven said after Saturday's season opener. "Not only did he score three goals, but he was very active all over and got back defensively."

Premo's early success could be exactly what the Judges need to get on track offensively this season after scoring just 26 goals as a team in 20 games last season.

"I had two goals all of last year, which is terrible," Premo said. "I feel great now. I couldn't sleep all last [Friday] night thinking about the game, and scoring three today helps a lot. This definitely boosts my confidence."

Premo said he would try to use last year's struggles to give himself extra motivation to improve for his final collegiate season.

"Pre-game I was nervous thinking about last year and how I only scored two goals," he said. "I put that all toward positive motivation. My sophomore year I had a good year, but last year I just felt more depended-on and thought about every shot that I hit. Now I'm just going out and shooting like I used to, and it's working."

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