The Heat Is On

The HEAT is On…
by Rich Mauch

The goals for this year’s edition of the Harrisburg Heat are simple. Get to the playoffs and win a championship. Of course, things are not always as easy as they seem, even though the Heat have been a model of consistency — making the playoffs every year since ’91, their debut year in the National Professional Soccer League. It’s been fun and games for the past eight seasons, for sure, but it’s also been hard work — the most difficult part being surviving the playoffs and raising the holy grail, the NPSL championship trophy.

Recently, I had a chance to sit down with the Heat’s General Manager, Gregg Cook, to talk about the team’s past and its future. In talking with him, it is obvious that, among other things, the Heat have built their roster around the word ‘consistency.’ "We pride ourselves on having a consistent roster," Cook said, adding, "we look for players that have long-term possibilities and try to build the team that way" — a very refreshing concept in these days of free agency and roster overloading in the mere hopes of making a one-year championship run. To be sure, the consistency has paid off, as while the Heat have never been a favorite to win the League, they have always been a lock to make it to the postseason.

The first steps to raising the championship trophy were taken on October 4th when the Heat opened training camp in Linglestown, at their training facility, Sports City Harrisburg, where Head Coach Richard Chinapoo returned for his second season at the helm after playing for the Heat for a number of years. And while the transition from player-coach has, by all accounts, been a relatively smooth one, it remains on his shoulders to take a 21-19 playoff team and make it better. Helping Chinapoo in that effort is a roster that has returned basically intact, led by fan-favorite, David Bascome, leading scorer, Gino DiFlorio, and Gerson Echevarry, a member of the league’s All-Rookie team last season. Players Mike Henning, Doug Petras, Kyle Swords, Mike Williams, and DiFlorio will join the team shortly— as they are currently on-loan from the Heat and battling as members the Hershey Wildcats, attempted to make a successful playoff run.

In addition to the current roster, Cook admits that the Heat are always keeping an eye out for talent — on all levels — especially since finding talent in indoor soccer is not an exact science. "You could take the best college soccer player and he just couldn’t cut it indoors, and a good outdoor player doesn’t necessarily become a good indoor player," Cook said. So where do they get their talent? Well, while they have a draft that is basically a crapshoot, most of the players come to Harrisburg on the recommendations of coaches and the players … and, as for once they get here, Cook attests that it’s hard for them to leave.

Harrisburg is a great atmosphere for soccer for a number of reasons — the Heat actually get a good amount of TV coverage, whereas in major markets like Philly and Baltimore it would be back page news. Secondly, the Heat have one of the best home-field advantages in the league. The Heat play at the venerable, old Farm Show Arena, which, in addition to having a great, soft surface to play on, it is one of the smaller arenas in the league — therefore making it probably the loudest. An average of 6,000 people pack into the arena for Heat games, and the players seem to feed off of the emotion of a great crowd.

Once again, the Heat have not been pegged as a championship contender, largely because their division is probably the toughest in the league, with their main rivals, the Baltimore Blast and the Philadelphia Kixx, being perennial contenders. And, in addition to their East Coast nemeses, the Heat, like every other team in the NPSL will find themselves busy chasing the St. Louis Ambush, last year’s champions. When talking to Cook, though, it is not hard to get the feeling that the Heat like playing the role of the somewhat-underdog — they don’t have the pressure of major expectations to live up to, they just have to go out and play their game. Just don’t be surprised if they sneak up on some people and win the Eastern Division — they already have the three keys that make a contender: chemistry, coaching, and talent.

The Heat open their season on October 30 at home against Buffalo. Do yourself a favor, take a weekend night, make the trip to the Farm Show Arena, and catch a game. It’s an experience that shouldn’t be missed.