As all the spring sports begin their 2019 season, boys varsity soccer is getting ready for a great season. There are new players from 10th, 11th, and 12th grade who look promising for the team’s success. This year, there are eleven seniors out of the 29 athletes.

Their first game was on Monday the 11th against Woodson and they won with a score of 2-1.

“I feel really confident about our team this year . . . I am really excited about everyone on our team this year,” first team coach Nikos Pavlis said.

The first step in having a successful season is team bonding to ensure the players are familiar with each other. That is relatively easy to accomplish when everyone on the team sees each other on the daily basis at practice or school and some of them already know each other from classes.

“I think that the team has a good chance of being good when we learn each others strengths,” varsity soccer player Brian Aka said.

The team has been practicing since Monday, February 25 and they are becoming closer as the season continues due to their practices that occur around six times a week and weekly games.

“I love the team; we all joke around with each other and we play together almost everyday so it’s like a family,” varsity soccer player Tariq Moutaouakil said.

Another aspect of a great team is having rituals that motivate the players before games. This team has one that dates back at least five to six years, because it was a tradition when Coach Nikos was on the McLean team in high school. Before every game, the athletes listen to music, have a team huddle, then end the huddle by chanting “One Team, One Mind, One Heart” as they run out to the field.

“Everything that we do together has this overarching theme over us that we are all one, trying to achieve a common goal,” Pavlis said.

As the boys work together throughout their games, both coaches believe this year’s season will go better than last year’s where their end record was three wins, ten ties, and three losses.

“Last year, we had a good team but lacked a bit of mental toughness to close out games that we were winning and gave up too many leads; we won’t let that happen with this year’s team,” Pavlis said.

One goal that these players are aiming for is to win districts this year and be able to hang the banner in the gym. After districts, they are hoping to qualify for regionals, compete in the regional final, and then head to states.

“I think we will be a team that has the potential to win a district title this year,” Moutaouakil said.

team schedule