Boys’ Varsity Soccer Looks Forward
The AB Boys’ Varsity Soccer Team was pumped; the players were happy and, most importantly, they were confident. They believed that they had a good chance of beating Concord-Carlisle in the season opener. Although the C-C Patriots have proved to be a worthy adversary in past years of rivalry, the Colonials went into this game with a positive attitude. They were also blessed with the home field advantage. This, along with other things, made it seem as if the game was theirs—or so they thought.
The first half of the game was evenly played. Both teams displayed equal amounts of talent. The Colonials had plenty of chances to score, but at first, were unable to execute. For example, at the end of the first half, an eager Oliver Davis was not able to capitalize on an 18-yard free kick and ricocheted the ball off the post. It was not until a mistake by an Acton-Boxborough defender that Concord-Carlisle took a 1-0 lead. The mistake was crucial, but the team was able to put it behind them and put all their effort into the second half. But unlike the Patriots, the over-confident Colonials returned to the field unprepared. The second half started out with two quick goals for Concord-Carlisle. Although they continued to play valiantly, the Colonials did not have enough left in them, and the game ended with a 3-0 loss for Acton-Boxborough.
Although AB lost, their season opener was not the reason this season initially seemed unpromising. The Colonials had constant opportunities to score, but they were unable to put these opportunities to good use and ended up with a shutout as their season opener. Coach Baumritter was not very pleased with his team. After the game, both the coach and the players questioned whether or not this was going to be a good season. But the team was able to put this thought aside.
The Colonials were able to win their next five matches against talented teams such as Wayland and Tyngsboro, including two shutouts, which successfully put their first devastating loss behind them. With high spirits and many talented players, the varsity team dominated in the succeeding games, establishing their current record of 6-3. Following this trend, the AB team potentially has another playoff season in the works.
Compared to last year, the team seems to be doing well halfway through its season. Last year, the Colonials were only able to round up a total of five wins, but this year, they are only halfway through the 2009 season already have six wins. With players such as Dillon and Tom Meagher, Chris and Alex Li, and Oliver Davis, the team can count on more wins the rest of the season. However, with a tough season ahead of them, Coach Baumritter and the rest of the Colonials will have to up their game if they want to make it far into the playoffs this year.
The season might have started off with a nerveracking 3-0 defeat by the Patriots, but as a whole, the AB Boys’ Varsity Soccer Team has started their season with a solid 6-3 record and is on its way to a memorable season.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
