Elkhorn grad serving as a leader in senior year with Warhawks Men’s Soccer
By Daniel Schoettler
Correspondent
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Men’s Soccer coach Tony Guinn now regards his relationship with senior Jordan Kayser as one of the best he has had with any player in his coaching career. Kayser, an Elkhorn high school graduate is one of five seniors on the UW-Whitewater Men’s Soccer team this year.
“We’ve been together now for five years,” Guinn said. “It wasn’t always perfect, but I always stood by him.”
Guinn calls Kayser a special player and says that he has a phenomenal vision of the game.
“He brings a calmness, creativeness and maturity on the field,” Guinn said. “He leads by example and he has great composure during the games.
Senior Michael Salm says that Kayser has been through it all as player. Salm calls Kayser a phenomenal teammate and that he puts the team before anything else.
“He has really matured so much over the last five years,” Salm said. “He is really somebody that the younger guys on this team look up to.”
Salm also called Kayser the most genuine person on the team.
“The best thing about Kayser is that he is himself,” Salm said. “You always know what you are going to get and the team wouldn’t be the same without Jordan Kayser.”
Last season, Kayser was second in points with 13 and second on the team in goals with six. He also had three game winning goals for the Warhawks as he helped the team get to the second round of the NCAA tournament last year and Kayser is looking to help his team improve on that mark last year.
“I got myself fitter than last season,” Kayser said. “I haven’t been putting up the same numbers, but I have been helping my team consistently to get some wins.”
So far in the 2016 campaign for Kayser, he has two goals on the year with four points on 13 shots. His two goals are good for second on the team, while his shot total is good for fifth with a shooting percentage of .462 being good for fourth on the team.
“Individually, just to get a couple more goals,” Kayser said. “I’d like end up withdouble digits if I can.”
Kayser’s goal for this year is hopefully get the team to a final four berth. The team currently is 6-3-2, after having a 14-4-2 year last year.
“We’re going up and that is the only direction I feel like this team is going,” Kayser said. “First we got to get there and get a game further and see from there and build on that.”
Kayser also says the experience of NCAA tournament play last year was one of his most enjoyable as a Warhawk.
“Just being in the tournament was pretty sweet,” Kayser said. “Going further this year will be better.”
Kayser says there is a lot of good team continuity on his team this year. He says it helps every day when he knows he has a good team around him.
“It makes you improve in practice and it makes you improve in games,” Kayser said. “It is good all around.”
