Overcoming COVID-19 hurdles, boys’ varsity soccer finishes on a strong note
Ava Memarzadeh, Staff Writer
The Samo boys’ varsity soccer team had a great season this school year. Overall, the team had a league record of 1:4:2 (wins, losses, ties). Despite many setbacks, among other things the cancellations of games due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, the 2021-2022 captains, William Berger (’22), Tristan Lucas (’22) and Kai Lauer (’22) were able to lead their team to success.
Unfortunately, the team lost in the CIF Division II, Southern Section, during the first round. The team was up against Salesian High School and eventually lost in overtime with a score of 2:1. Sam Lena (’22) scored the only goal for Samo, and was assisted by Angel Acevedo (’22).
Aside from improvement on the field, the team was also able to see an improvement in their sense of community, which was one of the captains’ main goals for the season. In the beginning of the season, Berger felt that the team’s lack of community was one of its primary issues and, as captain, was committed to remedying this.
“I hope to see us mesh as a team and play for each other rather than play as individuals,” Berger said.
The renewed sense of community in the team immediately translated over to the matches: On Jan. 13, during a non-league match against Ventura high school, the team had a particularly successful game. Angel Acevedo (’22) scored a goal, securing the team a win and proving himself a valuable player.
Although the team was able to turn many games around, their season sadly ended with an unlucky match on Jan. 28 against Redondo Union High School. Despite a good performance and the athlete’s best efforts on full display, there were not enough chances to score, and the game went into overtime. After a consistent score of 0:0, Redondo Union high school scored a goal, ending the nail biting game at 0:1.
That loss came off an exciting win against Palos Verdes high school on Jan. 25. Even though Palos Verdes scored a goal within the game’s first 10 minutes, Samo was able to come together as a team and save the game. The goalkeeper, Kai Patel (’22), made many incredible saves throughout the game. With 16 minutes remaining, Patel brilliantly blocked a free kick from Palos Verdes high school. As a reflection of the hard work that was put into the game, Samo ended with a score of 3:2.
Earlier, on Jan. 18, the varsity team impressed the crowd with their skill and grit in one of their first league games against Culver City high school. The team stood their ground and worked together to block many incoming shots from Culver City. The game ended with a score of 1:1, however, during overtime, Samo triumphed in the penalty shootout, ending the game with a score of 4:2.
Overall, the varsity boys’ soccer season was a season of success, the team, specifically the seniors, should be proud of their performance. After years of not having a season due to COVID-19, the team was able to make not only a comeback, but also a lasting memory of their season.
William Berger (’22) battles a player from Redondo Union for possesion of the ball.