HARRISBURG – Where there’s smoke, there’s fire and the Harrisburg Heat are stoking the flames for success in the very near future. The smallest details matter when you’re trying to rise from the arena soccer ashes.
The Heat hit rock bottom a few years ago and struggled down the stretch in 2018. A slow start to this season didn’t shake their determination.
“The first couple of games, we were a whole new group, trying to learn each other,” said 1st year GM/Head Coach Pat Healey. “Not many guys were returning, so it’s a whole new chemistry thing that you are trying to implement and a whole new style of play that we are trying to implement, it just takes time.”
“We started 1-7 and we came in and added some great wins, big teams, just completely changed the atmosphere, coaching and everything here," added Heat Defender Dylan Hundelt.
If Pat Healey didn’t think he could turn the Heat into winners, he wouldn’t have retired from playing with Baltimore. The former all-star defender won five championships in his ten years with the Blast and is energized by the positive results.
“It’s been rewarding, because you see the difference in mentality from the guys from the beginning and then you get to the halfway point and we start winning games, doing things right, winning close games and they finally realize this is a philosophy that does get wins.”
Ten of them to be exact. The Heat are 10-13 overall, 8-3 at home. They hope the winning is contagious and it’s certainly making it easier for the players to stick around.
“I actually just signed with the Heat for another three years,” smiled Hundelt. “I’m happy to be here and there’s a good future here for us .”
“Building blocks are there, “ insisted Healey. “The key players we’ve added, the building blocks are there. Can we make the push to the next level next year? That’s the goal.”
