Soccer sees no “I” in “team”
October 24, 2022
DRIBBLE TO THE GOAL. Sophomore Ezra Straub dribbles the ball up the field in BVS’ game against Minnehaha Academy.
Spartan boys entered sections as the #1 seed after placing second in conference with an overall record of 10-3-3.The team had a lot of away games, something captain Yash Kshirsagar thought was especially challenging.
“After our first few games of the season, we played like six away games in a row. It can be pretty brutal with all the schoolwork and time driving. Everyone was mentally exhausted and that took a toll that showed in our results,” he said. “Playing away versus home really does have a big difference.”
Senior George Peltier found that dealing with injury had a big impact on the team. “We had a couple of injuries and…people got sick,” he said. “That can be a challenge for any team.”
BVS did not win the conference, but that didn’t stop them from remaining competitive heading into sections.
“We were still able to take the first seed spot in sections, which was a pretty big win for us,” junior Humza Murad said.
He appreciated the strength of the team’s culture. “I really like how connected everyone is and how we are able to both be a friendly team and a serious one on the pitch.”
Kshirsagar and Peltier attributed much of the team’s success to its camaraderie. The team initiates many outside-of-practice activities that “Allow for team bonding and really bridge the grade disparity in the team. I think that makes the team more united and makes everyone feel like they’re included and welcome,” Kshirsagar said.
“Everybody just wants to play for each other, win for each other. […] I think that contributes a lot to our success,” Peltier added. “No matter what the result of each game is, I look forward to coming back to practice, to play with the guys and I look forward to the next game because we’re competitive against any team.”