After losing several players to injuries and failing to advance to state last season, the boys soccer team is coming back with a renewed vigor.

“[Our performance] last season wasn’t as strong as it could’ve been,” senior center midfielder Rio Alcorta said. “Our team chemistry just wasn’t there, but for this year, I feel that we’re all really connected.”

The newly strengthened team dynamics are partly due to the fact that the roster is predominantly composed of seniors who have had years of playing with and against one another. The other factor is the coaches’ emphasis on team building during the preseason. Team work, it seems, is not only about winning the game, but also helping each other improve.

“I want to score more than 15 goals this season,” junior forward Burke Fahling said. “I have good players around me to help me get to that goal.”

Aside from emphasizing good teamwork, the coaches are also making sure the players are properly warmed up before games and practices in light of last season’s injuries. As for the playing style, the team is sticking to what worked best in previous years—attack fast and play possessions.

“This year the coach is formulating a new tactic, which is called the six-second rule,” senior right defender Oliver Silverberg said. “Right when we lose the ball, we have six seconds to work really hard to get it back. The point of that is to maintain the pace of the game by keeping pressures high and getting the ball back quickly.”

The team is aiming toward winning the KingCo championship and advancing to the state playoffs. As always, team performance can be enhanced by fan support.

“I expect fans to be respectful to us and to the other team,” Alcorta said. “We don’t like them swearing. We like them to cheer. We like to hear them. We like them to be loud when there’s something crazy happening.”