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The Benjamin Boys and Girls Soccer seasons are off to a fast start as November comes to a close. Each team has already played three games, with the boys sitting at 3-1-1 and the girls at 5-0.
The Boys’ team opened their season with wins against St. Andrews School and Cardinal Newman and then lost a close one against North Broward Prep right before Thanksgiving break. Then on Mon. 11/27, they tied Oxbridge Academy 1-1, and on Tues. 11/28, they defeated University School 3-0.
After winning Districts and losing in the Regional Semifinals last year, the team is looking to bounce back with a younger, rejuvenated team.
“The team’s end goal is to make it back to states and hopefully win it this time around,” said senior and Captain Zach Neidoff.
Playing centerback for the Bucs, Neidoff describes how this year’s team differs from the 2022 team that fell short nearly a year ago.
“We lost seniors Luke Egizio and Luke Casper, but I think their loss hasn’t been felt as much as expected due to players like Brendan Matz and Gavin Gelinas stepping up and into the positions that they left behind,”explained Neidoff.
Junior striker Maddox Hoffman is looking to score as many goals as he can this season. He discusses what the team has done well this season and where they can improve.
“I think our biggest strength so far has been our ability to successfully replace the seniors that we lost. Our biggest weakness has been finishing the chances we are creating for ourselves, which comes down tobetter execution,” said Hoffman.
The Girls’ team went into the break on a high note, winning their first three games against St. Andrews School, Wellington High School, and Dwyer. Then on Wed. 11/29, they beat Treasure Coast High School 3-2, and on Thurs.11/30, they defeated Westminster Academy 6-0.
Senior and Captain Lily White has goals for this season besides returning to the State Championship.
“I want to be a good leader for my teammates by helping them perform to the best of their abilities and by helping us grow close as a team,” said White.
After losing seniors Maddie Popilek, Cameryn Grissman, and Anna Smithy, the team has a different feel this year.
“It’s definitely been different. We really miss their abilities and talent, their enthusiasm, and their personalities as they were all fun to be around. But I really like this year’s group too. We have a lot of great players and should win a lot of games again,” noted White.
Sophomore striker Sofia Balistreri explains how the team is trying to mitigate some of the changes.
“We’re putting players where they don’t normally play, and that can sometimes be a struggle, but we’re working through that day by day. Players like Sam Woods and Emily Simon have been huge for us. I think as the season goes on, we’ll end up having a really strong defense,” said Balistreri.
The Boys’ next game is at Gulliver Prep on Tues. Dec. 5, while the Girls’ next game is on Tues., Dec. 5 at home against Pine Crest. We wish both teams the best of luck with the rest of their seasons.
