Boys’ Soccer Triumphs Against NMH in Last Saturday's Match

Boys’ varsity soccer team added another victory to their nine-match winning streak. Although Northfield Mount Hermon’s varsity squad pressured the team throughout the entire game, Big Red defeated the Hoggers with a score of 2-1.Head coach AJ Cosgrove noted that although NMH was “an excellent team,” the team’s defense played decisively. He added that Big Red seized most of their chances during the game.“[We] played a great defensive game,” Cosgrove said. “We were opportunistic and were able to get a couple of goals by counter attacking. [They] were scored by [upper] Henry Behrens and [senior and co-captain] Ted Hart.”Hart said that although NMH had most of the possession, they weren’t able to finish off their shots.“NMH was a very talented team who used the full width of the field to possess the ball,” Hart said. “They were very successful at supporting and combining with each other, and that left us in a defensive position for nearly the entire game. However, possession doesn't always determine the outcome of a game because even though they dominated us in shots all we needed were a few opportunities to score and come away with the victory.Other players agreed with Hart that NMH’s team was one of the most challenging opponents the team has played this season.“NMH was the probably the most skilled team we have played so far, and we knew that coming into the game. This game took the whole team putting in 110%,” lower Quintin DiStefano said.Senior and left-midfielder Max Rerkpattanapipat added that all of their players did not lack in talent or persistence.“Their players were all very talented with their footwork and technique and they maintained the possession of the ball for the overwhelming majority of the game,” Rerkpattanapipat said.Rerkpattanapipat added that the team employed a defensive strategy along with counter attacks, which were pivotal for the victory.“When they made a mistake we jumped on the ball and used our offensive speed to bring it all the way into their goal territory. This is essentially how both our goals were scored. Besides the two shots we scored we may have had 3-5 shots at their goal the entire game, but we pulled off the win because we fight and work hard and stick together no matter what. This was a total team effort all around and a well earned tough win against a top tier team,” Rerkpattanapipat said.

DiStefano said that out of all the highlights of the game, lower and goalie Max Gross’ saves were the most notable and impressive.

DiStefano said that out of all the highlights of the game, lower and goalie Max Gross’ saves were the most notable and impressive. He emphasized that Gross’ blocks helped the team’s morale and ultimately led to the team’s victory.“Gross was a standout, protecting our lead at the end of the game with a few amazing stops, including saving a point-blank range shot with seconds on the clock. Overall, it was a huge win and I couldn't be more proud of the boys,” DiStefano said.