By Arjun Khanna ‘23, Sports Editor

The 22-23 Boys Varsity Soccer Team

It’s September 9th. Alejandro Lorenzo ’23 dashes past the Cedar Grove midfielder. He slides the ball out wide. Aiden Lu ’24 runs after the ball and chips it from the side. The ball looks out of place, but as it curves farther and farther left towards the goal post, suspense turns into jubilation. WHAT A GOAL! At once, Lu’s teammates surround him in a huddle, pumping fists and jumping up and down in celebration. The men in red and black are back, and they are better than ever. 

After ending last year’s season with a heartbreaking 4-3 shootout loss to Gill St. Bernards in the sectional finals, the boys varsity soccer team worked hard in the preseason to rebound stronger than before. After school, the athletes worked on a variety of dribbling, passing and shooting drills, and worked on strength and conditioning in the gym. In addition to their physical strength and skills, the team also prioritized forming strong bonds during preseason, since a sport like soccer demands mutual understanding and good communication. In the words of Coach Hernando Santamaria, “The main goals for this year were to really build off of last year. We’re going to be a tough team to break. We’re going to be a tough team to compete against. And that’s all I can ask for the guys this year.”

The boys varsity soccer team is not only better, but also far larger than it has been in recent years with over 30 players. Both of these factors have led the team to move up in their respective division, playing for the first time in the non-public A tournament. For the players, this means having to play against a higher level of competition, with strong teams like Seton Hall Prep and Christian Brothers. 

Despite this, the Minutemen have seemed up for the challenge thus far, gaining significant traction early on this season to achieve a 4-0 record, with decisive wins over Cedar Grove, Bloomfield, Irvington, and Livingston.  Key returning players to the team have been Alex Atlas ‘23, who was named All-SEC Liberty second team and All-State North Private Sectional second team, Alejandro Lorenzo’23, who was named All-SEC Liberty second team, as well as Nicholas Sikellis ’24 and Michael Russo ’24, who were named All-SEC Liberty Honorable Mentions.

In particular, captains Lorenzo and Atlas have played a crucial role in leading the team after consequential players such as goalie Max Alter ’22 and midfielder Zach Strain ’22 graduated. When asked about his vision for the rest of the reason, Atlas said “I think we’re at a stage where we’re starting to change the culture in the team and especially in athletics. Now the main focus is winning.”