The boys’ soccer team has started the season 3-3 with wins over Wootton HS, Gaithersburg HS and Poolesville HS as they look to rebound from a disappointing season last year, with a 3-7-3 record and a first-round playoff loss to Richard Montgomery HS.
The Wildcats started off the season at home against their strong rival Quince Orchard, on Wednesday, Sept. 6. It was a closer game than what the score line indicated as it ended with a 3-1 QO victory, after a very even match. WJ took the lead early in the game courtesy of a goal by grade striker junior Leo Holma within the first 10 minutes.
However, this lead was short-lived; QO responded quickly with a near-perfect free kick which left WJ keeper William Karasik with little to do. This was again repeated shortly before half time which gave the visitors a 2-1 lead with the second half left to play. After a very close yet deadlocked second half, the Cats had no option but to push up to find a late goal, leaving them tactically vulnerable to a counterattack which secured the Cougar’s victory by a 3-1 margin.
A quick turnaround saw the Cats travel to Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday, Sept. 9 as they faced off against Salesianum HS. WJ once again started the game well with an opening goal in the third minute of the match. The lead was again short-lived as the home team scored twice to take a 2-1 lead before the match was canceled at halftime due to lightning. Even though they didn’t finish the game, it was still a good opportunity for the team to continue building a rhythm for future games.
“I think the team is doing well right now, we came into the year with a lot of potential but had a disappointing preseason, but I think things are coming together now and we’re showing how much potential and ability this group has,” junior Cody Dembo said.
The Cats played Wootton HS just two days later. The game went into double overtime and was the closest match of the season so far. The MCPS rules state that once in OT, the game transitions into golden goal, meaning that whichever team scores automatically wins the game. After an intense back and forth, sophomore Lucas Zuniga scored an exciting game-winner as he tipped it past the sliding keeper after getting in behind the defense to meet a chipped-through ball sent by his junior teammate Gianluca Benavides. This result marked the first win of the season for the Cats and showed their ability to fight and win close matches.
The Cats’ fourth game of the season was at home against Poolesville HS on Wed, Sept. 13. It was without a doubt the Cats’ most complete game as they finished with a resounding 5-0 win. An early goal by senior defender John Dempster gave the Cats a lead that led to the team building off that early momentum by scoring three more before the break courtesy of senior striker Loic Nsoga-Mahob.
“It was an amazing team performance against Poolesville that allowed me to score a hat-trick, especially from midfielders Dani [Alonso] and Savvas [Koutromanos]. Afterward, it felt really good because it was my first WJ hat-trick and in the moment when I scored each individual goal I didn’t even realize the accomplishment that I had just performed because I was so in the moment,” Nsoga-Mahob said.
The game was sealed thanks to a goal by senior forward Kendall Murphy who capped off the game to a 5-0 finish in a dominant performance that brought their record to 2-2. They continued their winning streak against Gaithersburg HS on Wed, Sept. 20 with a 4-2 win that brought their record up to 3-2. Goals came from seniors Isak Holmberg, Sidney Scale and Kendall Murphy, as well as from junior Matewos Tuge. This dominant performance allowed the team to continue their hopes for a good season as they push to prepare for the playoffs.
“I think we’ve had a strong start to the season, shocking schools with who we are after a disappointing season last year. We have strong chemistry and love for each other and the badge and we’re looking to finish off the season with many more wins and a deep run in the playoffs,” senior Sunjay Bista said.
The team dropped points with a 3-0 loss against Walt Whitman to bring their record to 3-3. Their next game will be against Mongomery Blair HS on Thur, Sept. 28.
