The Cats, benefiting from strong defensive efforts, hold an even 3-3 record. However, the difficulty of the remaining schedule remains an obstacle in their quest to win the region.
On Sept. 7, the boys’ soccer team’s highly anticipated season opened up with a battle against former nationally-ranked opponent, Salesianum High School from Wilmington, DE. The skill on both sides of the field was evident as both teams held each other scoreless for the majority of the game. The winning goal, complemented by the Cats’ lock-down defense, brought the Cats to a 1-0 record.
WJ then traveled to Poolesville on Sept. 9 where the defensive showcase seen in the first game was absent. The Cats scored seven goals while holding Poolesville to only one goal, a commanding win that boosted WJ to a 2-0 record.
However, on Sept. 18, the trip to Quince Orchard was not as friendly to the Cats. Despite a game-tying penalty kick goal bringing the game into overtime, the Cougars scored the ‘golden goal,’ serving the Cats their first loss of the season.
One day after the loss at QO, the Gaithersburg Trojans handed the Cats a similar outcome with a disappointing 2-0 loss in a game that was scoreless for the entire first half.
“We came out like we had already won,” junior Alessandro Marenco said. “We were too flat and didn’t have any energy.”
Coming off back-to-back losses, the Cats wouldn’t have an easy match heading into Saturday. Just 48 hours after a heartbreaking loss, the Cats went toe-to-toe with an elite 3-0-1 Wootton squad. WJ sought to end a two game losing streak, and the offense came out firing, scoring four goals against a stout Patriot defense.
“We fixed a lot of the offensive mistakes we had in our two losses,” junior Quincy Hunter-Williams said. “It felt great to bounce back from our two losses.”
Despite the momentum gained from the blowout win vs Wooton, the Cats fell short to the Churchill Bulldogs 2-1. Marking the team’s third loss,
The strong defensive showing remains a definite bright spot for the Wildcats despite the three losses. The Cat’s defense has shut out two opponents in the first six games of the season and held Poolesville to just one score.
Looking ahead, the Wildcats can’t take any of their next opponents lightly with a current record of 3-3 (.500%). A brutal four-game stretch consisting of Blair (4-1), B-CC (3-1), Whitman (6-0) and Northwest (4-2) will be the ultimate test for the Cats.
“If we stick together we can win any of these games,” senior captain Jakob Lindsay said. “It’s all about having positive team chemistry and playing as one unit.”
