Ben Dahan News Editor
The boys varsity soccer team bested Mark Keppel High School with a close score of 3-2 on Friday, Dec. 8.
The closure of the first half of the game did not bode well for the Normans, who were down 0-1. However, they dominated the second half, scoring three goals and shooting countless near-misses.
“Even though we went down one nothing, we’re still playing the way we want to play and the [end] score’s the [end] score,” coach Chris Braga said.
Braga attributes this changing tide to a rally in the locker room during halftime, reinvigorating the team’s spirit and determination.
“Coming out of the second half, we had this renewed passion for the game, and we came,” he said. “We brought in energy and scored three goals.”
Forward Jonah Okum broke the team’s rutt, a goal which was followed up minutes later by another. Second co-captain Alex Rosen believes this gave the team momentum to win the game.
“It was a good team effort, everyone got pumped up after the first goal. Everything went from there,” Rosen said.
As the final minutes on the clock ticked down, the Aztecs scored another point, pushing them to try to tie the game and seek an overtime victory.
According to midfielder Kenny Dervishi, the end of game excitement was due to a mistake made by the Normans.
“The second goal we conceded was really just miscommunication among our defense,” Dervishi said. “It’s fixable; [communication] is necessary.”
Boys soccer believes they beat Mark Keppel because of their better training and tactics. No small feat considering they are transitioning to a new playing style.
“I think we were trying to play a certain style that the boys are learning,” Braga said. “It’s a progression.”