After an unfortunate 1-0 loss to Mundelein on senior night, the Scouts Varsity Soccer team is looking to turn the season around to make a playoff run.
The Scouts are now 7-9 overall and 3-3 in conference after being defeated by the Mundelein Mustangs.
Although the night was filled with misfortune, there were still bright spots. Some players who don’t always get to see the field got their chance to shine against the Mustangs. Senior Michael Nduaka made his presence known as he ran onto the field.
“It was fun being a part of a team full of people who wanted to win,” Nduaka said.
Looking past the unfavorable loss, the Scouts have a few tricks up their sleeves to get the season back on track and refocus for the playoffs.
“I think overall, not just me in general, we have to reset and refocus on the goal. It was a tough loss, but overall I think we need to focus on how we can generate a better offense and create more goal scoring opportunities,” senior midfielder Emerson Buettner said.
Not only is there a spotlight on the captains, but on Buettner as well. This is Buettner’s first year playing with the team, as he had other club soccer obligations in previous years. It is expected that Buettner can perform this season and help lead his team to many victories. You just simply can’t do that without the right amount of chemistry, though.
“The team chemistry has been really good. I think that is because it is primarily a senior heavy squad and we all work well with each other, so it is a prtty good environment,” Buettner said.
(Preston Lui)
“I don’t think there is a lot of pressure. I think our record doesn’t show how good a team we are. We have had some pretty stupid losses, but I think we can do well in the playoffs, so we just need to see what happens,” Gustafson said.
There is always a teammate who is known as the “glue guy” who holds the team together and keeps them upright. For the Scouts, it’s goalie Bo Bertola.
Bertola has not only kept many shots out of the net, with 2.8 saves per game, but has also helped lead the team from one of the most important spots on the field.
“Being in the goal allows me to see everything and everyone on the field, so then I am very vocal and I communicate with everyone,” Bertola said. “I also like to know that I can trust them to make decisions as well, because I don’t like telling them what to do all game and be annoying, but I like to be supportive and encouraging to them all game, no matter what, because if we can all be like that, then we can improve and make each other better.”
Although the team is not as successful on the scoreboard as last year, this year’s Scouts are stronger than they appear.
“This year’s team is very positive. Everyone’s goal is the same and we are all on the same page. We have a lot of new players on the team which has brought some fresh talent. This team’s commitment definitely makes this group stand out,” senior defender Will Fox said.
