If you've ever watched the York College men's soccer team in action, you've witnessed a perfect flow of motion, a seamless harmony between 11 players played out each and every game.

Sometimes the Spartans look a class above the competition -- that's not being callous, either. There are many reasons to explain it.

York, a top NCAA Division III program, routinely draws in some of the top talent from Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Spartans also rake in some of the best D-I level talent -- former Susquehannock High School goalkeeper and recent transfer Jesse Derksen being the latest example. Derksen came to the Spartans after a year at Central Florida.

But you know where a team starts to come together? That would be on a land far away from the comfort of the Spartans' Graham Field.

York is set to travel to Italy from Aug. 6 to Aug. 15 -- an overseas right of passage for the men's soccer squad every three years. This latest voyage will take head coach Mark Ludwig, his coaching staff and 25 players to Florence, Rome and Venice.

There, York will square off against some of the best European teams around. Now do you understand where all that team cohesiveness comes from?

"With our guys, it's all they talk about," Ludwig said with a laugh. "We look at it as three prongs: 1/3 soccer, 1/3 cultural and 1/3 team bonding."

Ludwig said he leaves the destination for the trip up to his players, who all quickly reached a mutual agreement that Italy was the place to go.

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In prior years under Ludwig's tenure, York has traveled to Germany, Holland and England.
The Spartans have also made a habit of training and scrimmaging against several talented teams in the past, D-I Bucknell a recent example from last year. But the exposure to European teams may be a different experience entirely -- one that could prove vital as the Spartans try to reach their first D-III Final Four.

"It adds a lot of experience and shows you different styles," said Derksen, who recently traveled to Germany with the Region 1 Olympic Development Team. "It will bring some creativity and I'm really excited for the trip, especially to spend some time with the guys."

Ludwig said he wasn't certain of his team's opponents quite yet. But he did say he expects the Spartans to be matched up with a couple of squads who will give York a run for its money.

That may provide just the seasoning this bunch needs. Because once the college season gets underway, losses are probably going to be few and far between.

-- Jeffrey A. Johnson is a sports reporter for The York Dispatch. He can be reached at jjohn son@yorkdispatch.com or 505-5406.