Looking to bounce back and make the playoffs after missing it last year, the THHS boys varsity soccer team appears to be heading in the right direction with their recent win against Newcomers High School this past Thursday, 3-1. At the onset of the season, the team faced two ties and a loss, but since then have had a record of 2-1.
Their first game of the season against Grover Cleveland High School ended in a tie, 3-3. This continued in their next match against Information Technology High School, where they tied 1-1. Worried with the way the season has started, players on the team shared their thoughts on their performance the first two games.
Captain, senior Max Golosovker, expressed that the team was “frustrated” that they couldn’t secure the first win. He said that the team mounted a strong defense and even managed to “stay ahead in both games” but fell short into a tie.
The third game, against Middle College High School, was one that the captains hoped would not set the tone for the rest of the season. Fortunately, the players remained confident in their chances in turning their team’s direction around. In a rather exciting face-off against Maspeth High School, the captains rallied the team to their first win this season. Thanks to exceptional teamwork and assistance from the rest of the players, seniors Max Golosovker, Anis Djerdjare, John Demchak, and Junior Christian Vargas, each scored a goal and secured the team’s 4-2 victory. Despite this, the boys faced a setback in their next game, which resulted in a 4-2 loss to Queens Technical High School. In their game against Newcomers High School, the team proved themselves undeterred by the previous loss and left the Kissena Park turf with a 3-1 win. In their most recent game, the team fell to Middle College High School at LaGuardia Community with a score of 4-2. Goals were scored by senior Max Golosovker and freshman August Krauskopf.
Since their last game on October 6th, the boys have only three games remaining in the regular season. According to the captains, winning at least two of the upcoming games would qualify the team for playoffs. Captain Anis Djerdjare, conveyed that he’s optimistic for the future of the team: “We definitely have a shot at playoffs this year despite [our] sub par performance at the start of the season.” He believes that the boys have made it evident that they can truly compete throughout and ensures that they “are improving and taking the positives from every game, win or lose.”
Reflecting on their delivery, the captains and players both agree that the team’s strength lies in scoring the first goal, whereas they lack finishing chances and not maintaining their lead. With more time in between the next four games, the captains plan on preparing the players to be more fit and aggressive.
