At Waterford High School, the Waterford Boys’ soccer season has commenced. The boys are currently four games into the season, but haven’t had the strongest of starts.
The team holds a season record of 0 wins and 4 losses. Despite the team’s slow start, hopes are high for the 21-man roster under head coach Jeff Emerich.
The Lancers have lost to Bacon Academy, Somers, Stonington, and Ledyard. The team picked up their most recent loss against Ledyard, 1-0, at Ledyard High School on the 12th of September.
The boys are more than ready to give it their all in hopes of saving their season. Junior midfielder Alex Pina says,” Overall, I feel like the team performance is getting better game after game…I’m looking forward to scoring a couple of goals and getting a couple of assists. I feel like my responsibility as a junior is to score and overall just help the team in a good direction.”
Alex Pina is one of many players on the team who is keeping the spirits up
Senior captain, Ben Dubicki, has been vocal about the team’s determination to bounce back:” After our four losses and no goals, we put in the hard work at practice and had to work together to figure it out…We have to be confident in ourselves, and we have to think that we are the best team if we want to beat these good teams”.
For now, the Lancers are just trying to keep it simple and stay together as a team. Practices feel less like chores and more like a chance to laugh a little, reset, and build trust again. Players talk about holding each other accountable, but also are there to lift each other when mistakes are made.
They know that if they keep that positive energy going, the rest of the season can finally showcase what they’re capable of.
As the season moves forward, the Lancers know their biggest challenge is mental as much as physical. Staying disciplined in practice and confident on the field will be key to flipping the narrative of their first four games.
The team hopes that lessons learned from early setbacks can fuel stronger performances later in the schedule. With several matches still ahead, the opportunity for a “good” season remains.
Backed by a determined roster and a strong sense of unity, Waterford hopes to turn its hard work into wins and prove that a poor start doesn’t define an entire season.
