Jemicy’s best team in school history, the boy’s varsity soccer team has been tearing up the fields. Led by captain Leo Moscarella and vice-captain Garrett Chung, the team made their way into the MIAA men’s varsity soccer quarterfinals, an achievement our school hasn’t made in years. With a record of 4-3, the captains say this has been the most fun season yet.
This season has been filled with unforgettable moments, but some stand out more than others. To start, the team’s victory against Beth Tfiloh was the buzz around the school for days. This game was a turning point for the team. Not only was it a satisfying win, but beating our rivals was the confidence booster the team needed. Another amazing memory is Oliver Smulyan’s three saved penalty shots. For those who don’t know, blocking a penalty shot is perhaps one of the hardest things you can do, so to block three in a row as a first-year goalie is quite impressive.
Everything has its weaknesses, so what could this team work on? Right away, the answer was fullbacks, the defensive position located on the outer sides of the field. Without a strong enough defense on the side, a lot of stress is put on the centerwing (the defender in front of the goal). As essentially the defense’s captain, Garrett says the fullbacks have really grown into their position and are able to hold their own ground. Now though, it’s become an issue of confidence. With such great success this season, the team has put itself under a lot of pressure. Understanding this, Leo tells me, “before we had nothing to lose, so a lot of our players are getting really anxious about a lot of games.” Garrett agreed, saying even games they’re shoo-in to win have been getting into their heads. “We’re in a position we’ve never been in before, so it’s a learning experience.”
Although everyone has improved greatly, someone who has really stood out has been Izaya Smith. Reflecting on his performance in preseason compared to now, the captains were quick to point out his development. They also briefly remarked on Jacob Balmages’s growth as a player, despite already being quite skilled. On a wider scale, the team’s defensive line has had the most improvement in comparison to other positions. Staring out the season the defensive line had some trouble, but as time went on their skills began to develop and improve.
The loss of Leo next year will definitely make a huge difference, but Garrett is hopeful that with the addition of some players from JV, the team will still be able to stand tall. Although in contrast to that, it will be a struggle without his efforts: “it will be a pretty big loss to lose Leo. I mean, he does like fifty percent of the work. He works a lot in the midfield, he covers a ton of space.” Moving on without Leo is sad to think about, but luckily a lot of the team’s strong players reside in the eleventh grade. With next year being their last to play in high school, the vice-captain believes this motivator will keep the team just as strong, if not more.
Sure they all work together on the field, but off of it is where the best memories are. Whether it’s listening to Coach Gensler play German rap on the bus, or playing World Cup in practices, this team has had an awesome time together off the pitch. Coach Gensler even had some favorite moments of his own. On the way home from a game against Mt. Carmel, some girls from the school had flagged the bus down to talk to our boys, an experience Gensler will never forget. “The boys were going wild so I slow it [the bus] down enough for them to interact and the rest of the bus ride was ridiculousness. It was so high school.”
When he departs, Leo wants to leave a positive lasting legacy on the team. “I want it to be a positive thing where it’s not super serious, like in a pressure-inducing state for everyone. This team is supposed to be fun. This team is supposed to have a great community around it, it’s not supposed to be ‘We need to win.’ That’s just a plus.” He said the last part with a smile on his face. Just by talking to him, it’s easy to recognize how much Leo cares for the team. The love isn’t just one-sided though, it seems everyone on the team has something nice to say about Leo. “He’s someone we all look up to in a kind of way.” Brendan Smith tells me. “He’s helped me a lot with my game over the season, I’m so happy to have him as a captain. We’re all going to miss him when he goes to college.”
With their head coach having several teams to help, Leo was put in a position to help run practices and coach the team. Without complaint, he handled the situation with gusto. Gensler even remarked on Leo’s coaching, and how helpful he was this season. “The boys Listen to him, and he gives good advice. Leo is outstanding, we’re really gonna miss him next year. Wherever he goes, I hope he continues to play cuz he obviously loves the game and he’s good at it.”
MOOSE PRINTS 
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