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Ghada Moussa

The boys soccer team hypes each other before the beginning of the soccer match.

The boys varsity soccer team held their senior night on April 25. Parents, classmates and players greeted players with flowers, heartfelt handshakes and hugs from principal Ellen Reilly, succeeded by a 1-0 victory against the Herndon Hornets.

“I thought [senior night] was really enjoyable,” senior Will Mahoney said. “I’m glad we could come out and get a win. It was a nice moment to come out with my parents and kind of appreciate them and my soccer career.”

The night was incredible for all of the players, not just seniors. The accompanying game ended in victory when senior Mike Elgharib scored a goal in the 18th minute of the second half to make the final score 1-0 in favor of the Highlanders.

“I’m very happy we were able to win,” senior Jacob Miller said. “We’ve been kind of struggling recently, and it was always nice to win in front of all of our parents and family.” 

McLean soccer players have faced bad luck with injuries this season, making performance during games challenging.

“I’ve been battling a serious hamstring injury,” Mahoney said. “It kept me out of a lot of games, but I’m glad to get back here tonight and play.” 

The senior night victory raised hopes for the team to go to states and compete for a title there.

“For our goals, we’re still working on it. But, this game today set the tone for what’s to come,” Gaitan said. “Last year, we went to districts and regionals and I think this year these boys are starting to bloom and we’re gonna go to the states.”

At the end of the night, Gaitan expressed his feelings about missing his senior soccer team as they move ahead after graduation.

“They’re a great group of boys; very respectful; they’ve always been polite, and as a coach, that’s very important because you want players that are coachable, and I’m going to miss that,” Gaitan said.