The JV Soccer team traveled to Fork Union, Virginia for our match versus Fork Union Military Academy.
David Chen started at goal and had some spectacular saves. He has come a long way and is now moving better in the 6″ at cutting off the angles for opponents.
Connor Henretta continues to evolve as a solid defender. As a Left Back, he has the ability to stop opponents and create counters for our offense.
Zonghan “Barney” Li plays the Right Back. From just kicking a ball on sight, he is now developing the skills to stop it, look up, and play the ball to an open teammate. He has made huge strides in his game.
Dongjun Ma is the big man in the back four. We played him at the Stopper position and he did a terrific job. He uses his body well and has the ability to push the ball forward past the midfield and into the offensive side. Ma had an outstanding game where he never relented and worked hard both ways (defensively and offensively).
Gavin O’Connor continues to improve each game. Yesterday he showed a much better touch with the ball and the ability to bring it under control to try and create a pass for an open teammate. He showed flashes of what the future will hold for him. Beating opponents and creating chaos for opposing defenses.
Christopher Roe had his best game ever. He managed to dribble past opponents and shoot with precision at goal. He scored twice and missed having a “hat trick” when his shot hit the upper post. With Roe’s two goals, the whole team celebrated as if they had won the World Cup.
Nicholas Brown may be our youngest player but he has some of the best technical skills and vision for the game. Nicholas has the ability to control the ball, dribble and pass accurately to his teammates. On top of that, he is a fierce defender. It doesn’t matter who he has in front of him, whether it is someone his size or much taller, Nicholas will shadow them until he comes out on top. The future is bright for this very skilled athlete.
Christopher Elliot is our sole natural lefty. We play him on the left-wing and he has shown signs of improvement every game. Elliot has a tendency to want to kick any ball on the first touch. We are looking for him to first settle the ball, look up and then decide if to dribble or pass. With a few games left, we hope he can achieve this goal.
Ezekiel “Zeek” Umali returned to us from a hand injury in the past weeks. He possesses great speed and the ability to dribble past opponents and create important opportunities on offense. He is still learning to control the ball but has already shown signs of the great player he will become.
Aidan White also returned from the disabled list. He had been sick for the past few days. Aidan has shown good improvements with his ball-handling and passing skills. Aidan is a strong player and has a relentless fighting spirit. Those are great qualities that are very much appreciated by any coach.
Andrew Hanson has become an important defender for our team. He is an experienced lacrosse player and this crossover has allowed him to recognize situations on the soccer field and to be able to position himself favorably to defend. If he continues to work on his footwork and dribbling skills, Andrew will become a real asset for our soccer program.
Jabril Browne also returned from injury and displayed great spirit as a midfielder. He got involved in important plays and all of his teammates commended him for his efforts.
Great job, Tigers!
