The boys soccer team came out very strong in its home opener this past Saturday, August 25th, defeating Tree of Life by a staggering 5 points to 0.
With a pair of early goals scored by Jake Tuckerman’14, it was clear from the start that this team, which lost a highly talented group of seniors last year, means business and is out to make a statement.
As senior captain Dominic Facciola explains, the soccer team’s success and failure, to a degree, depends on two factors: the returning starters playing at a very high level and the new players stepping up to fill gaps: “There’s been a lot of speculation about our depth. We are stepping up. We have a great ‘core group’ of guys returning that need to play well. We also need younger guys, who don’t have so much experience, to step up.”
Another key to success for the soccer team is chemistry. “We are all great friends off the field,” says Facciolla, and adds that, “We have a lot of fun, but we try to keep the off-field shenanigans to a minimum so we can be serious when we need to be.” Against Tree of Life, a team that beat the Vikings last year, all seems to working to near perfection.
It’s too early to pass any sort of judgment, but the boys soccer team seams as if it may have some real potential. Facciola is confident, saying, “If everything goes right and people do what they need to do, we could go far.”
Who knows? This might just be the year for the soccer team to finally accomplish what it has been on a mission to do for years, only to be stopped in the past by hear- wrenching defeats.
It’s very early, but things are certainly looking good.
Written by Harry Wexner’13
The Vikings play Hilliard at 3:00 this Sunday, September 1st.
