Boys’ soccer is optimistic for solid season after hiring new coaches

Coach: Max Dorling

Last year’s overall record: 1-10-2

Last year’s league record: 0-8-1

Recap: The JV and the varsity team were combined. Due to student athletes’ inability to practice all year, the coaches are focusing mainly on conditioning throughout the 14 days of preseason.

Key additions: Senior Defender Kyle Massie (out last year due to an injury)

Key matchups in the upcoming season: Wilcox High School, Fremont High School, Lynbrook

Star players: Senior left wing Nolan Chen, senior right wing Jun Lee, senior midfielder Aniket Desarkar, junior center back Aidan Costello, junior midfielder Shaheen Masoumi

Key losses to graduation: Left wing Brian Wu, defender Nick Joe, midfielder Joe Bruun-Jensen

League: De Anza League

Prognosis:

After losing both the head and assistant coach Chris Stott and Alex Booth last year, the team is ready to adjust to the phase-league system with Max Dorling, the new head coach, and assistant coaches Conor McGoldrick and Cameron Toosyerkani, all of whom once played for the school.

Senior left wing Nolan Chen said that the team needed more conditioning and chemistry building during tryouts because many were out of shape due to quarantine conditions.

According to Chen, the team currently has over 20 players consisting of mostly seniors and juniors. Chen said the team seems to be generally optimistic about the season, although he said he was worried about the team after the current senior class graduates.

“We have a solid defense line,” Desarkar said. “Our game plan is trying to defend and send long passes to the offensive players to score.”

Dorling also mentioned that he and his assistant coaches will mainly focus on stamina drills and communication techniques throughout preseason.

“This is my first time coaching a high school team so everything is different and new in terms of my approach,” Dorling said. “I do have a lot of experience as a coach and will fall back on that to guide me throughout the season. Every scenario is unique and different but I will plan on approaching this team the same as I do anything in life: With determination, gusto and passion.”

The team has been practicing since the beginning of March and will begin competing against other schools after two weeks of preseason. For the first match of the regular phase-season, the team will face Wilcox High School on March 15.

“There is a good balance of experience and younger players that are hungry to make their impact,” Dorling said. “Judging by my first week of tryouts I would say this team is much stronger than last year's record implies. I am pleased with the overall level of skill/technique, physicality, and soccer knowledge.”