On Oct. 2, New Trier boys soccer suffered a rough loss to defending state champions Hinsdale Central 1-0.
The loss knocked New Trier down to a 6-8-4 record. Despite the losing record, both coaches and players aren’t feeling down.
“We’ve had a lot of close games this year, and we feel as though our record doesn’t really reflect who we are,” said Matt Ravenscraft, assistant coach for varsity soccer.
The Trevs have only lost two games this year by more than one goal, and the defense and goaltending has been solid, with one or fewer goals being allowed in thirteen of the eighteen games.
Jack Saltzman, a senior forward, sited starting and finishing games well as an issue for the team right now.
“In terms of how we play, we don’t need to change much. We just need to perform consistently for 80 minutes, especially in the first five minutes and last five minutes of each half,” said Saltzman.
The thing that immediately stands out for the Trevians is their youth. They have seven underclassmen (six sophomores and one freshman) on the team. They also feature an almost entirely new starting lineup, while seniors Spencer Farina and Bradley Nassar left the team to play club soccer, returning midfielder Louis Shaw said the loss of all the upperclassmen may not be the end of the world.
“One of our strengths is definitely our adaptability. With an entirely new starting lineup after last season, many guys on the team are playing in multiple, and sometimes new positions. We’ve done a good job adapting to that,” Shaw said.
This year’s team captains are seniors Michael Gallo (forward) and Jacob Moskowitz (defender). According to Ravenscraft, both players have been strong leaders. “They have been great leaders on and off the pitch,” said Ravenscraft. “They’ve worked really hard to help improve younger players who don’t have experience.”
“Being a captain I just try to make sure they are comfortable. I try to lead by example and show them that you need to work hard on and off the field all the time to be successful. With having freshman Logan Weaver on the team, I have just been helping him with the transition to high school and being a varsity athlete,” said Gallo.
New Trier has played in many tournaments and friendlies (a game against a non-conference opponent) this year. They participated in the Northside College Showcase and the PepsiCo Showdown. They’ve also played against highly ranked teams such as Lyons Township and Hinsdale Central. At the beginning of the year, the losses or ties could slide, but as Saltzman explains, the Trevs expect bigger things now.
“At the start of the year, I think we tended to use the excuse that we were a young team, as an excuse,” said Saltzman. “When you play in big games against other talented teams, it becomes a game of moments, and winning “each moment” is where the game is won and lost.” The development of the younger players as the season winds down and the state tournament begins will be vital to post-season success. The seven underclassmen will continue to be exposed to big games
“We have six underclassmen on this year’s team, and all of them have carved out an important role for themselves on the team,” said Shaw. “Ryan Kruger and Will Felitto have helped us out offensively with a lot of goals and assists. As a midfielder myself, I also recognize Mateo Blair’s contributions as a solid defensive and offensive player.”
“Our best quality has to be our depth. We have 25 guys on the roster and each guy could come into a big game and play a role if needed,” said Saltzman.
The state playoffs begin Oct. 16, and New Trier’s first opponent is TBD. Last year’s team made it all the way to the Barrington Super-Sectional before losing to Fremd.
“We’re a few more big plays away from having a really good post-season,” said Shaw.