By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
The returning members of the Nantucket boys soccer team may still have a bad taste in their mouths.
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Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger
Returning junior defender Carlos Portillo keeps his eye on the ball during a practice drill Saturday. The Nantucket boys soccer team is scheduled to open its season at home Saturday against Coyle Cassidy. |
The day before the Whalers’ final game of the schedule last season, the squad was told that under Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association rules, they would have to forfeit three ties and two wins from the first month of the season because they had played with an academically ineligible player. The consequences were devastating, stripping the team of its Lighthouse Conference title as well as a berth in the postseason.
“They learned a lot last year. The way it ended, it didn’t seem fair or fun, but I think judging by their reaction and the way they have come forth this year, I think in some cases they are hungrier. There is a good desire to work hard. Everyone has come in pretty fit, which I am excited about. It sort of has stemmed from maybe that little left-over empty feeling that they had at the end of the season last year,” head coach Rich Brannigan said.
The Whalers will open their season Saturday at home against Coyle Cassidy.
The Nantucket squad lost four seniors from last year’s team: including Russell Bartlett, Jasper Young, Carl Stevens and Josh Van Hoesen. Thirty-two players have signed up for boys soccer this year, the highest total in recent years. While most of the players are underclassmen, many have valuable experience from last season.
“I think we are going to be pretty evenly balanced. I think the skill level of our players is probably the most even it has been in a long time. Player number one to 30, there is a very even skill level, which is good because it means we challenge each other that much more every day and there is not a big disparity between our top 10 players and our bottom 10 players,” Brannigan said.
The Whalers suffered injuries to five starting players last year, forcing younger athletes to step in and fill the roles on the field, often times without missing a beat.
“I think we are still a little bit young. We don’t have eight seniors out of a starting group of 11. Having three or four seniors that are starters means we are young everywhere else on the field. The youth of our team could be a weakness, but at the same time most of those players played as freshman or young sophomores last year in their first varsity year, so they have at least a year of experience under their belt, so they are not true rookies,” Brannigan said.
The biggest shoes to fill will be those of Bartlett, who anchored the Whalers with a stellar senior season in goal, netting six shutouts over 18 games. Sophomores Alex Perkins and Colin Kohler split time in goal on the junior varsity squad last season and are battling for the starting job on the varsity squad this season.
“Russell had great experience and it will be a hard position to fill, based on what he brought to the field and to practice every day,” Brannigan said.
“They both have all the JV experience they got from last year, plus a couple varsity stand-ins. We pretty much are going to pick the top goalie. We are not going to split half and half at this point. That’s still being decided and that’s a challenging thing to do.”
There is some senior leadership in front of the net with returning starters Henry Farrell and Devon Kohler on the defensive line. Look for the return of speedy Jose Ramirez, who played a solid freshman season at the varsity level, as well as Carlos Portillo and Evan Theroux.
“I look for them to also start our attack. The best offense comes with a good defense and the right distribution out of the back. I am looking forward to see how they transition from defense to offense and play full team soccer instead of calling themselves defenders,” Brannigan said.
The midfield is one of the youngest sections of the field, with mostly sophomores in the mix, but nearly all of the athletes have some varsity experience from last season.
“We were able to score goals last year. A lot of times a young midfield results in a low goal output. Our entire midfield is returning. That’s exciting because it means they are familiar with each other and they have a familiarity of what I expect of them as midfielders. They were pretty successful as a group last year, so that is looking good for this year,” Brannigan said.
Among the midfielders returning this season, look for Emil Bender and Emerson Guzman with junior Will Lendway on the outside. Brannigan expects the midfield to lend a hand in the offensive attack this season as well.
“Our midfield and our offensive line is not as defined as our defenders right now. A lot of it depends on who might have the goal-scoring touch in a given week or who is going to match up well against an opponent. Tactically, I might need to use someone who doesn’t necessarily have all finesse on the ball, someone who is more physical, someone who is good in the air or someone with more speed, and that might be a game-time decision based on who we are playing. It is exciting to have some options up front,” Brannigan said.
Forwards Philipe Bazilio and Bryan Tarcitano are both returning from serious season-ending injuries last season, but look to be a major factor in the offense this season.
“Philipe has a great first touch and a knack for getting in front of the goal with the ball. Bryan is a good striker because he knows how to score and he can penetrate really well. They are both similar players but different in a couple ways, so that gives me a lot of flexibility,” Brannigan said.
With all of the major injuries suffered on the field last season, the Whalers are taking a slow approach to preparing for this season, focusing on fitness and conditioning.
“I didn’t schedule any scrimmages against high school teams because I wanted to ease into the season more this year and make sure we are prepared physically and mentally and make sure we are fit. With the numbers we have, it gives me the flexibility to do an intra-squad scrimmage and I can also scrimmage against a men’s league opponent,” Brannigan said.
The Whalers will be thrown right into challenging competition once the season opens on Saturday at home against Coyle Cassidy. The season also features contests against top programs such as Cardinal Spellman, Martha’s Vineyard, Norwood, Methuen and Cohasset.
“Our non-league games could be the strongest we have had in a while,” Brannigan said.
Even the Lighthouse Conference schedule has become more difficult, with Cape Cod Academy and Sturgis improving in recent seasons.
“They expect to challenge for the league title and knock off a couple of our non-conference opponents and get a decent seeding in the state tournament,” Brannigan said of his expectations for the Whalers this year. “We like to set our goals achievable, but also put a reach goal in there.”
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