In the last seven matches of the regular season, the Stallions won more games than they did all of last season
The American Heritage boys soccer team got off to a shaky start this season. Through six games, a repeat of last year’s disappointing 6-10 campaign was not out of the question.
A 3-0 loss to University School set the team back to 3-2-1, with just one win in its previous four matches. But just as quickly, the Stallions bounced back and turned their season around to become one of the top teams in Palm Beach County.
American Heritage finished the regular season on a 7-match winning streak, posting a 10-2-1 record. The Stallions head into Friday’s 3A District 12 semifinal looking to win their second state title in three years.
Two years ago, in coach Jonathan Frias’ second season, Heritage went 20-3-1 en route to capturing the Class 2A state title. But the memories from that season are fading. That team graduated over a dozen seniors, losing most of the important contributors. And last season was spent rebuilding with an inexperienced team.
But that season was key in developing this season’s core group of players. Last season was Josh Sapirstein’s first at American Heritage after moving from New Jersey, and he had to adjust to being an important player.
“In New Jersey, I wasn’t a starter on the team,” Sapirstein said. “I immediately had to step into a starting role. And I immediately had to deal with a lot of things in the field that I didn’t have to deal with before, and step into a leadership position.”
That included stepping in as team captain when other players were injured, despite being new to the team, the school and the state.
The other transition came for players like senior Nick Marchionni, who spent much of the championship run on the sidelines. But after all the departures, Marchionni has played nearly every minute over the last two seasons alongside fellow center back and captain Sapirstein. The experience gained from struggling for a year is paying off now.
“This year, being seniors, they’re really taking it on,” Frias said.
>>>RELATED: American Heritage boys win Class 2A state soccer championship
Heritage’s slow start can partially be attributed to injuries. As the season continued, players started to get healthy, and Heritage believes it has hit its stride heading into the postseason.
“We never really played a game with the full team until maybe two or three games ago,” Marchionni said.
One of the highlights of the winning streak was a 3-2 win over a 10-win Spanish River team that featured a last-minute, game-winning goal from freshman Ethan Scala.
Then Thursday, the Stallions celebrated Senior Night with a 2-1 win over St. John Paul II. After their second goal, the entire team posted for a picture on the sideline, a moment planned ahead of the game.
“We’ve been able to find ways to win, no matter what it takes,” Sapirstein said.
For Frias, the message heading into the district tournament is simple — one game at a time.
“Seven games left. If we can get those seven games, we’re state champions,” he said.
And Marchionni especially has the confidence to lead his team back to where they were two seasons ago.
“I think it should be known that we should be feared in Palm Beach,” Marchionni said. “We haven’t lost a game to any Palm Beach team. The whole team thinks we run Palm Beach.”
2020-01-26 04:19:05Z
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/20200125/hs-boys-soccer-after-slow-start-american-heritage-riding-high-heading-into-playoffs
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "HS boys soccer: After slow start, American Heritage riding high heading into playoffs - Palm Beach Post"
Post a Comment