By Sam Adams
In the first round of CIF playoffs, varsity boysâ soccer was upset by the lower-seeded St. John Bosco, bringing an abrupt end to their season, in which they finished second in the Mission League behind Loyola. The league finish was the highest by the team in several years.
After a slow start to the season that included three losses in the first five games, the squad heated up, losing only one game in the final 13 matches of the regular season. Four straight wins over league teams closed out the regular season on a high note. The squad finished with an overall record of 14-9-5 and a league record of 7-1-4.
With the team hoping to make a deep run in the CIF tournament, defender Austin Park â10 said the Bosco loss came as a shock.
“We had the talent to go deeper,” Park said. “Everybody was disheartened by the loss, because we had finished so much higher than we usually do in league but dropped so early in CIF.”
However, the team looks forward to a better season next year. Victor Kroh â10, a star player who sat out the teamâs season while playing with an elite club team, will return to the team, adding more firepower to the teamâs office. The loss of starters Anthony Farias-Eisner â09 and Jason Hirschhorn â09 is a blow to the squad, Arroyo said, but allows some of the younger players opportunities. A wide range of junior class talent in players such as forward Jesse Mirman â10 and goaltender Alex Siverman â10 gives the coach hope for the future.
“Next year, we want to go all the way to a CIF championship,” Park said. “With Victor back and more experience in the team, it can be done.”