Autumn breeze brings easy win for devils

By Ellen Finn,

HUB staff writer–

The first cold winds of autumn whipped the backs of the Mens JV soccer team as they jogged off the field after the final whistle of their game on Oct. 11, declaring them the 1-0 victors of a match against Franklin High School.

“So far we are undefeated in the league, and are hoping to maintain that streak,” Tim Baxter said.  But the team wants more.  “I’d be lying if I didn’t say winning is important,” JV Mens soccer coach Jason DalPorto said.  “It’s vital for our confidence and moral.”

However, the Blue Devils want to be winning by much more than just a point.  “We should have beaten them something like 4-0, not 1-0,” main scorer Raunak Manandhar said. There were several great shots by Manandhar throughout that game but many just barely missed or were expertly blocked by Franklin’s goalie.

“We need something better!”  Yelled DalPorto from the sidelines.

Manandhar eventually scored the point with a goal passed to him by teammate Jesse Hopp, but was still somewhat disappointed with how the game turned out, saying he wanted to improve his “movement, and [the fact that he] didn’t finish the chances that [he] had.”  Regardless of Manandhar’s opinion of his own performance, his goal kept the team on top with their undefeated season.

Teamwork was a key factor in their victory.  The ball was constantly being shared and passed all over the field.  Not one of the Blue Devils seemed to be unaware of the connection that they all had- no player tried to be the hero, which was what made them successful.

“We see the work the boys put into practice come to life when we see them using teamwork out there” DalPorto said.