By Noah Rosendorf ’17

Boys’ varsity soccer’s record so far reflects a season full of many ups and downs. The team stood at 3-4-1, after losing to Rockville 1-0 on October 6. Although the Warriors have beat conference foes Blake, Paint Branch and Springbrook, they have also suffered losses such as a 4-1 defeat to Watkins Mill in conference play on September 30 and a 3-1 defeat against non-conference foe Northwest in the first game of the season.

The team has had good communication throughout the games, which has led to meaningful possession. However, the possession often has not resulted in goals. A struggle in a number of games has been the Warriors’ inability to play quality balls to strikers, such as senior Chris Homon and junior Cheriff Dicko, to create quality chances on goal.

The Warriors had a chance of winning the 4A North division, but the recent losses to Watkins Mill and Rockville took them out of the hunt. “We can only focus on winning one game at a time,” said Coach Matt Parsons. “We need to stick with what we have been successful doing all season and continue on making it better. We need to create more high-quality opportunities and finish those chances. Our strikers need to stay wide, and we need to work on our defensive shape. We also can not give up big gaps in the field—that is what will win us games.”

After a crucial game yesterday against arch-rival Magruder, the Warriors need to continue building a positive outlook as they finish the regular season against quality opponents, including a game at Blair on October 20 and a home game against B-CC on October 22.

“In order to succeed as a team we need to work as a unit more. A lot of the forwards have had low confidence so it’s vital to remain positive and continue to work hard. We need to send the ball to our strikers more by waiting for the perfect ball to send them,” said senior left forward Alan Kristall.

Parsons is emphasizing patience and hard work as the foundations for consistently strong performances. “We have to be patient as a team. You do not improve the way you play dramatically everyday. By working hard everyday in training, we will get a little bit better each day, and that is how we will become successful,” said Parsons.