Senior midfielder Max Pollard looks to send the ball past an Eagles Defender during the Cardinals 6-1 win over Washington on August 25. Photos by Gavin Li
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Energized by last year’s undefeated championship season, the Cardinal boys’ varsity soccer team kicked off their season opener on Aug. 25, seeming to need to acclimate. They allowed the Washington Eagles to gain a 0-1 lead in the first half. However, Lowell brought it back in the second half and finished with a 6-1 victory.

The ominous start proved to be a minor speed bump for the boys. “We were nervous at the beginning because we were down a goal, but after the second half the coach motivated us,” freshman midfielder Tim Eilers said.

Eilers along with freshman midfielder Luis Hernandez are two of five freshmen who have been selected to play on the championship team. “I’m used to playing with people my age and now I can learn more from the seniors,” freshman midfielder Luis Hernandez said.

Coach Marcos Estebez explained the challenge of being recruited onto the team as freshman. “Schools like S.I. and S.H. have freshmen, JV and Varsity soccer programs. Public schools only have Varsity. Lack of money, practice fields, and eligibility issues are several of the reasons. As a result, we end up cutting about 30 freshmen each year and carry a Varsity squad, which is much larger than most — 27 this year, as opposed to most having 18 players,” Estebez said. “Trying to develop players in this system is very difficult. Also, freshmen are at a huge disadvantage coming in to a Varsity-only program because they are competing against players who can be five years older. That’s a huge difference!”

Estebez is instituting an innovative perk — he is going to give players every Friday off to allow them to recharge and come back ready to defeat their opponents. “One of the things we’ve changed this year is giving our players time off,” he said. “Three quarters of our roster plays club soccer. Some of them rush from Lowell practice to train with their club teams. Tired bodies are more prone to injury. We want to keep our players safe and on the field. We expect to incorporate this into the girls’ season as well.”

True dedication is what allows the team to be so strong. “I try my best to make it to club soccer but school soccer is always a priority,” sophomore midfielder Will Slotterback said.

Estebez is looking forward to supporting the team in competitive matches to take home the championship title once again. “I don’t expect we’ll be undefeated,” Estebez said.

Other schools see Lowell as a major competitor in the AAA league. “They are a really good team and they are a playoff team, but we are definitely going to beat them this year,” senior Eagles defender and goalie Mohamed Algahin said.

The team has high hopes for the season in order to get to the championships. “We are going to keep up the good work and keep the team chemistry flowing,” junior stopper Zach Weisenburger said. The team is also working on getting to the championships with the new players. “So far we have been working to get our chemistry back,” senior midfielder Cameron Basaing, who is also a reporter for The Lowell, said. “Last year our chemistry helped us win our championship. Last year we tried a formation that confuses the opponent and we are planning to work on that again this year.”

Come cheer on the boys at 3:45 p.m. next Tuesday at Feibusch field as they take on the San Francisco International Huskies.

A version of this article first appeared in the Sept. 9, 2011 print edition of The Lowell.