Boys' Varsity Soccer

The boys’ varsity soccer team took the field in front of a strong showing of alumni supporters this Saturday, September 29^th as they faced Lakes Region foe Proctor Academy.  Despite struggling to find a rhythm throughout the match, the Wildcats snuck by with a 1-0 win off of sophomore Jack Payne’s shot in the 73^rd minute of play.  Vermont then held a determined Proctor squad off for the remainder of the game to preserve its undefeated record and earn valuable points in the Lakes Region.

For the second game in a row, Vermont took the field without two of its most dangerous weapons in the attack due to injury.  Nevertheless, newcomers Payne and Bradley Kim stepped up to fill the void and offered much-needed work ethic and composure through the midfield.  The two sophomores worked hard to connect with juniors Eduardo Garcia and Adrian Guerrero in order to maintain possessions for stretches of the first half.  Despite a number of opportunities, however, the Wildcats could not find the back of the net and entered halftime with a score of 0-0.

In the second half, Proctor continued to work its way into the game and became increasingly dangerous up the flanks as the game wore on.  The sophomore defensive unit of Sebastian Wu, Domenic Senerchia, and Cameron Wright held strong, however, and goalkeeper Nate Antesberger came up huge when called upon.  Both teams had their fair share of chances, but it was not until the 73^rd minute of play that Payne received a pass from sophomore Trevor Peterson and launched a shot from 30 yards out that found its way in under the crossbar.  Having secured the 1-0 lead, the Wildcats made a number of additional breaks down the field, but played the majority of the remaining time in a defensive shell as Proctor continued to press forward for the equalizer.

Despite strong pressure in the final minutes of play, Proctor was unable to find a way through the Wildcat defense, and Vermont walked off the field relieved to have escaped with a 1-0 victory. 

The Wildcats looks to continue to improve and re-focus in the coming week as they prepare to host rival Kimball Union Academy this coming Wednesday, October 3^rd at 4 pm.

The varsity boys’ soccer team preserved its undefeated record this Wednesday, September 26^th with a gutsy come-from-behind tie against Lakes Region opponent Tilton.  With both starting forwards sidelined with injury, the Wildcats struggled to find the holes in a very athletic and hard-working Tilton defense.  It was not until the final minutes of play that junior Alejandro Neo Uzal finally broke through for two stunning goals with 12 and 7 minutes remaining in the game.  Emotions ran high both on the field and on the bench as the Wildcats fought their way back to secure the tie.

Throughout the game, the Rams put Vermont Academy under constant pressure.  A very strong, fast, and athletic lineup from Tilton sustained a speed of play that was new to the Wildcats and tested their resolve.  Tilton’s depth of experience was also apparent as their seniors led the charge against a very young Wildcat defensive unit made up of sophomores  Nate Antesberger in net and Sebastian Wu, Cameron Wright, and Domenic Senerchia across the back line.  Nevertheless, the young Wildcats held firm, covering well for each other and maintaining their poise.  Vermont finished the half behind 1-0, but with the help of a talented midfield had begun to settle into possessing the ball and turning the momentum.

At the start of the second half, Vermont found its legs to some extent and began putting on their own pressure in what had turned into a back-and-forth battle.  A scramble in front of the Vermont net, however, resulted in a rebound shot off the cross-bar and in to give the visiting Rams a 2-0 lead with roughly 35 minutes of play remaining.  Almost immediately, the Wildcats increased their urgency and showed firm resolve to work their way back into the game.  Minutes continued to tick off the clock as Vermont increased the pressure and took over much of possession.  Finally, in the 78^th minute of play, Adrian Guerrero found Uzal with a beautifully timed through ball in behind the last defender.  Uzal raced onto the ball and chipped it over the goalkeeper for his first goal of the game.  Minutes later, Guerrero found Uzal in what was a nearly identical play.  Uzal won a footrace between two defenders and again beat the keeper to the ball, chipping it in just below the crossbar.

As the final minutes ticked away, both teams made several desperate runs on net but were unable to put the finishing touches on a hard-fought match.  The Wildcats left the field relieved to have earned their way back into the game while the Rams were left wondering how the win slipped away.

The Wildcats look to continue their unbeaten streak this Saturday during Alumni Weekend as they face Proctor Academy at home at 3 pm.

The boys’ varsity soccer team won a hard-fought match at New Hampton this Saturday, September 22, topping the Huskies 4-0 in what was a very even game.  The Wildcats battled for over 65 minutes before breaking the 0-0 tie, after which the floodgates opened.  Despite sickness and injury to a number of players, starters and support players alike were instrumental in getting the Wildcats off to a strong start in the Lakes Region.

The first half of the match was a fast-paced affair, with both teams getting their fair share of chances on net.  New Hampton controlled the majority of play as the visiting Wildcats got used to the turf.  Vermont’s defense in particular was tested early as they adjusted to the artificial surface, and although they bent on occasion, they never broke.  When called upon, sophomore goalkeeper Nate Antesberger bailed his defensive unit out with a huge penalty kick save in the waning minutes of the first half.

After surviving a hard-fought first half, the Wildcats took the field in the second with confidence that the constant pressure from strikers Neal Li and Dimitri Floras would eventually wear the Husky defense down.  Through the middle of the field, Eduardo Garcia, Jack Payne and Alejandro Neo Uzal steadily took over possession of the ball with an impressive work rate and poised passing.  Finally, at the 23-minute mark, junior Patrick Bartolomucci played a perfect ball out of the back to a streaking Uzal.  Uzal beat one defender on his way into the 18-yard box and snuck a shot into the lower left corner of the net to break the stalemate.

As New Hampton started pressing forward for an equalizer, the Wildcats began finding more success at their offensive end of the field.  Seven minutes after the first goal, sophomore Cameron Wright rifled a free kick from over 40 yards out that deflected off a defender and in under the cross-bar.  Minutes later, Floras broke free from his defender and was fouled on his way to the net, earning a penalty kick for the Wildcats that Garcia promptly put home.  As the minutes ticked off the clock, Floras was finally rewarded for his pressure and work ethic throughout the match as Uzal played a ball in behind the last defender.  Floras won the footrace and struck a rocket into the upper left corner of the net to round out the scoring at a decisive 4-0 in favor of Vermont.

The Wildcats look to continue to ride the momentum of their early winning streak as they host Tilton this coming Wednesday, September 26^th at 3:00 pm.

The boys’ varsity soccer team earned its second win of the season this Wednesday, September 19^th with a 3-1 victory over the Northfield Mount Hermon junior varsity team.  The Wildcats edged ever closer to putting together a complete game, as they controlled play for the majority of the 90-minute contest and saw a number of stretches of quality possession.  Despite struggling to find the net throughout the match, the Wildcats showed a strong work ethic that eventually broke through a determined NMH defensive unit.

Vermont started the match well, possessing the ball and using its talent through the middle of the field to control the tempo.  Occasional runs forward from attackers Dimitri Floras and Neal Li kept NMH on its toes, but Vermont could not seem to put the final touches together to get on the scoreboard.  Despite numerous opportunities, both teams entered halftime scoreless.

As the second half progressed, play began to open up somewhat for Vermont’s attacking players.   Only three minutes into the half, Floras broke free down the right flank to play a perfect cross in to Li, who was streaking through the center of the field to place a clean one-timer into the back of the net.  Twelve minutes later, Floras was rewarded for his unselfish play with a throughball pass from team captain Eduardo Garcia.  Floras ran onto the ball and calmly placed it into the lower corner of the net while holding off a defender.

Junior  Adrian Guerrero rounded out the scoring for the Wildcats at the 25-minute mark of the second half, stripping a defender in the offensive third of the field and promptly launching a shot in under the crossbar from over 25 yards out.

As the minutes ticked away, the Wildcats had trouble maintaining their pace of play, and a determined NMH team eventually found it way onto the scoreboard soon after Guerrera’s goal.  NMH continued to put pressure on throughout the remainder of the game, pushing Wildcat defenders to maintain their focus until the final whistle.

Vermont looks forward to another important test this Saturday, September 22^nd at New Hampton.

Despite missing six players from its starting lineup, the boys’ varsity soccer team got off to a strong start this Saturday, September 15th with a convincing 5-1 victory over High Mowing School. The Wildcats welcomed a number of newcomers to the starting lineup due to a number of injuries and absences; these newcomers combined for an impressive four of the team’s five goals and maintained a high level of energy throughout the match.

Senior forward Rang “Neal” Li got the Wildcats off to a strong start with a series of dangerous runs that challenged the High Mowing defense. He was quickly rewarded only four minutes into play with a well-timed through-ball pass from junior Captain Eduardo Garcia. Li took the pass in stride and finished with a shot into the lower left corner of the net to earn the Wildcats a lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.

The Wildcats continued to put pressure on the High Mowing for the majority of the first half, relying on a constant work rate from forwards Li, Michail Eggelhoefer, Sage Vogt, and a number of others while gaining stability from the middle of the field through Garcia and sophomores Bradley Kim and Trevor Peterson. At the 23-minute mark in the first half, Eggelhoefer’s high pressure paid off as he intercepted a pass between two High Mowing defenders and saw a clear path to the goal. He calmly placed the ball into the back of the net, giving the Wildcats a 2-0 lead going into halftime.

At the start of the second half, Li resumed his impressive work rate, sprinting forward into the High Mowing ranks to strip a defender of the ball and score his second goal of the match in only seven seconds. His goals were followed by two more from senior Jon Lesser and Eggelhoefer at the 14 and 26-minute marks, respectively. The Wildcat defense help strong and consistent throughout much of the game, but were caught off guard midway through the second half by a determined High Mowing attack that put the home team on the board with its only goal of the afternoon.

The Wildcats look to continue the momentum into this Wednesday, September 19th when they host Northfield Mount Hermon for the home opener.

The boys’ varsity soccer team travelled to Governor’s Academy this Wednesday, September 12 for its final scrimmage of the fall before beginning regular season play. The Wildcats adjusted nicely to a long bus ride, playing well in the first half to secure a 3-2 victory.

The Wildcats struggled for the second straight time to find their stride in the first 20 minutes of scrimmage. Governor’s controlled much of the momentum of the game, putting Vermont’s defense under significant pressure and forcing a handball in the penalty area only 15 minutes into play. With a strong penalty kick into the bottom left corner of the net, Governor’s took the early lead 1-0.

Vermont recovered well after giving up its first goal, and after making a few tactical adjustments, they gained momentum of the game through possession and strong passing. Newcomer Jack Payne was the first to find the net, firing a rebound shot off the crossbar and in to tally his first point as a Wildcat. Vermont then continued to control much of the first half with the help of junior captain Eduardo Garcia who was very active in the middle of the field. As the final minutes of the first half ticked away, senior Eamon O’Keefe received a pass down the sideline and promptly rocketed a shot into the upper corner from 20 yards out to put the Wildcats up 2-1 going into halftime.

The start of the second half was punctuated by a number of dangerous runs from senior Jon Lesser, who was tested for the first time in a striker role. Lesser made the most of his time up top, crashing a rebound inside the six-yard line to put away his first goal of the season.

As the second half continued and Wildcat legs got increasingly heavy, Governor’s regained much of the momentum. They were able to find the net once more, and had numerous dangerous chances on net, but sophomore goalkeeper Nate Antesberger held strong to secure the 3-2 win.

The Wildcats are looking forward to their first official game this Saturday, September 15 at High Mowing at 2:30 pm.

The boys’ varsity soccer team opened its interscholastic season this year with a hard-fought 6-6 tie in a scrimmage at Deerfield Academy this past Saturday, September 8. The teams agreed to play an extended match of three 40-minute periods in order to try out a number of different line-ups and combinations. Despite the rain, both teams learned a lot and gained valuable experience as they prepare for the start of the regular season.

The Wildcats started the day fairly slowly, having arrived shortly before the match was set to start. Deerfield used its impressive work rate and communication to set a pace that Vermont had difficulty adjusting to, and Deerfield held possession for much of the first 20 minutes of play. By the end of the first 40-minute period, the Wildcats had fallen to a deficit of 1-3, with a lone highlight coming from junior Dimitri Floras, who barreled through two defenders and the goalkeeper to put away his first goal of his Vermont Academy career and get the Wildcats on the board.

In the second and third periods of play, Vermont settled into the game and started to show glimpses of their potential. Passing improved, and soon afterward, goals started to pile up. Junior forward Alejandro Neo Uzal contributed three goals in the second and third periods, while junior Adrian Diaz Guerrero and sophomore Trevor Peterson each tallied one apiece.

Also of note was the outstanding play of Vermont Academy’s young defense. Despite giving up six goals over the course of play, the young defensive unit of Cameron Wright, Domenic Senerchia, Sebastian Wu, and Dalton Romanowski played well in front of goalkeeper Nate Antesberger, lasting the entire 120 minutes.
The Wildcats look forward to starting their regular season this Saturday, September 15 at High Mowing at 2:30 pm.