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By Julia Kotzian
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Sep. 24, 2008 |
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“The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when no one is looking.”
So spoke Mia Hamm, famous American soccer player. The words could describe the Lowell boys’ varsity soccer teams’ work ethic and will power shown in their 2-2 pre-season. Now facing their fall season, the boys are building up their team with changes in players and obtaining their 1-1 season record.
On a good note, their first pre-season games ended in a victory as the Cardinals crushed Drew 3-1 on Aug. 26 and pummeled Gateway 8-0 on Aug. 25. However, before the season started, the team lost their Aug. 27 game against Sonoma 1-0 and their September 3 match against Terra Linda 2-1, the only goal coming from junior captain Anthony Clay. Terra Linda was better suited to the hot weather conditions and played a better game.
When the season started on Sept. 9, the team suffered a defeat to O’Connell 3-1, the goal made by Clay. Junior goalie Nathan Gayde said that the team was overconfident and disorganized going into the game. “But we’ve been practicing hard since our loss, so we’ll come back even stronger,” Gayde said.
Unfortunately with every win there is a loss. In this case things did not go smoothly for the teams pre-season matches. But the boys keep their heads up and loom on the positive side of their season and their new players.
The team’s hard work paid off on Sept. 11 when they trampled June Jordan 6-0. “Even though we won by so much, we still tried to pay them the respect they deserved,” junior right mid-fielder Jonathan Loeser said. “Modern soccer should just be called respect, because that’s what it’s all about.”
Whether winning or loosing, the boys kept their heads up and focused on the positive side of their season, recovering from losses to their roster by incorporating new players.
One adjustment this year is the loss of crucial seniors from last year, including David Huberman and Walker Weir, who, according to junior Safah Mannah, “knew when to have fun and when to take soccer seriously.”
With the elders gone, younger players are stepping up. For the first time in a long time, the team has a junior as captain: Clay. Loeser also welcomes the “new promising players,” such as freshman Max Pollard and JV sophomore Leo Harrington.
Loeser says that this year the team needs more fans to support and root for the Cardinals. Junior Holden Taylor is seeking new members for the Twelfth Man, a pep squad of determined Lowell boys who cheer for the team on the field. “We are looking for great new people that are not afraid to have feelings shown by the other team,” Taylor said.
This season the soccer players are determined to win their championships. Last year the boys made it to their first playoff game but lost to O’Connell.
The Cardinals’ next match will be at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 23 at Lowell High School against the Washington Eagles.
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