The boy’s soccer team had an excellent run this past season, with a record of 10-6-3 the boys made it to the semi-finals round of FCIAC’s, an achievement that has not be conquered within’ 15 years.
Captain Marc Guirand, 12, went into the season with a positive attitude; despite not being able to hit the weight room as a team he said the team worked a whole lot on technical and physical skills on the field. He also said that the team did some wrestling training that helped them out greatly. Mario Caminiti, soccer coach for about 20 years, knows many aspects of the game and especially how to train his team. “I try to look at things in a realistic manner knowing that we only had just a few players returning, at that point I didn’t think we had enough experience to be who we are now” he said. Certainly the team has grown over the season, coping with tough teams and hard losses.
Mike Nunziante, 11, said, “We had a very dynamic season but that is expected of a young team.” He said “We have very dedicated team members and they have been putting in the work. We have a lot of talent and speed on the team.” Mike is among one of the many players who had not played varsity level soccer before this year. Guirand said “We really had to get in their face because their mentality wasn’t as strong as ours. A lot of pressure was placed on me and we needed to push them as hard as we can.” The team faced a very challenging season, facing elite teams like Greenwich and Ridgefield but the boys’ didn’t sulk over their lost games. It was essential for the returning players to keep the mentality positive.
As the season progressed the boys found themselves in a sure first round FCIAC spot. With an impressive victory over Fairfield Ludlowe Nunziante said, “I totally appreciated the opportunity to play in my first varsity playoff game.” Nunziante along with other defensive players had a significant role in keeping the score low for the opposing team. Their next challenge was Ridgefield, a team they have lost to before. Before meeting their match on the field Guirand needed to “hype up” the team. He among other players knew it was critical to practice hard but maintain a positive mindset.
Unfortunately the boys suffered a hard loss (5-1). Though they had to be quick to forget the loss and get ready for the State Tournament. Caminiti said, “We have to keep doing what we do best…there is very little time to incorporate new tactics or any new drills. I think right now it comes down to mental toughness on behalf of everybody, including the coaches. We need to be disciplined with our game and not get too overconfident.”
The boys play their game on Tuesday November 5, 2013 on the Stamford High upper field against Danbury.