Asked for an early read on his squad, ADM boys soccer head coach Bill Shields said he expects his midfielders to be the strongest unit. But, that could easily change over the next couple of weeks.

The Tigers continue their first week of practice over spring break, which Shields described as a bit of a “mess” because so many kids are gone at different times of the week. He said these later stages of the week is when he typically has about two-thirds of his roster there, and full practices begin when school resumes on Monday.

That’s when competition for positions will really heat up, and why Shields will reserve his full judgement on the strengths and weaknesses of his squad until certain players have had the chance to separate themselves from the pack.

“I think we’ll have a pretty strong midfield,” Shields said. “Some of it depends on where we end up playing people and we haven’t seem them yet, so that’s the hard part to do. If you ask me that in two weeks time, I might have a better answer for you.”

The midfield will be led by senior Derek Gushiken, a four-year varsity starter who was named Second Team All-State last season.

Shields added that the upcoming first week of full practice is vital because the Tigers will scrimmage defending state champion Norwalk the following Tuesday, which gives them just six days to prepare as a full unit.