Coming off of last season’s CIF win against St. Augustine High School, University City High School’s (UCHS) boys’ 2011-12 soccer team had some big shoes to fill. The team is aiming high, again aspiring to get into the CIF competition — and to win. The team is currently ranked 19th in California and 41st in the nation. Under the skilled leadership of head coach Erik Andersen, the season has seen success with an overall record of 14-1-2, with ties against Cathedral Catholic and St. Augustine. The team recently had its first loss against Cathedral on Feb. 1. Both Cathedral and St. Augustine are competitors in the Western Athletic League and are, Anderson said, “probably our toughest competition.” The team’s strengths, Andersen said, lie in the defense, a concept the team has been working on of late, as well as in “good leadership from the seniors and the captains.” As for their success thus far, Andersen said humility has taken hold. “You don’t hear the boys talking about it,” he said. “Though it does put more of a target on our back. … Other teams want to knock you off a pedestal.” Captains Martin Cisneros, Travis Nicklaw and Spencer Williams know their success at this point in the season is merely the icing on a cake yet to come. “It feels good, but it doesn’t mean anything until CIF,” Nicklaw said. Williams agreed, adding the team must continue focusing on what has gotten them this far. “We need to maintain and execute these shutouts,” he said. Andersen said one of the struggles the team has faced was “trying to get everyone on the same page.” Cisneros echoed this in saying, “We’re just becoming a team.” Andersen, who is also the assistant director for the club soccer team Notts Forest Football Club, said the majority of the boys also play club soccer in the off-season. Their dedication to the sport, as well as to academics, has to be real. “Injured or not, they are expected to be here,” he said. The team is also spending time focusing on getting healthy and recovering from injuries. Andersen has had a chance to develop his bench and his JV team — which bodes well for future seasons — so UCHS can continue its reign. “We have a good group for next year,” he said.