When you think about the town of Ludlow, what automatically comes to mind? Yup, we all thought the same thing: Soccer.
Who wouldn’t after our 2010 Varsity Boys’ season? The boys clinched their fourth straight Western Massachusetts title and even came out with the Division I State Championship, making our Ludlow boys, for the second time in three years, the best soccer team in Massachusetts.
Tuesday, the boys played their season opener at home against East Longmeadow. The determination in every kick and the passion every player has for this sport was obvious even from the stands.
Though this varsity squad graduated 17 players, the boys played more effortlessly than ever and pulled out a 2-0 win with two underclassmen goal scorers – junior Dylan Pereira and sophomore Jeff Danek.
Of course, we can’t ignore the fact that this young team has a six-foot-two goalie backing them up in net and staying true to his “Mr. Zero” reputation with yet another shutout.
So what’s to expect out of this young, talented team for their 2011-2012 season? No doubt they will miss the presence of some of the 2011 graduates. One in specific: Chris “CP” Pereira.
“The kid always had great leadership, was a team player, and he always had positive energy on and off the field,” said junior forward Kyle Tomas.
He, however, has great confidence in his team.
“I expect [seniors Brandon] McCarthy [and Shaun] Mello, and myself to step it up because we have the heart, desire, and pride to win,” said Tomas.
Senior Greg Santos, defensemen for the Lions, has plenty of faith in Danek, expecting a lot out of him this season because “he works hard and is a very skilled player.”
Let’s all hope that heart, desire, pride and hard work will pay off for this season and pray the boys can win their fifth consecutive Western Massachusetts Title, which will make history in our Ludlow Varsity Boys’ team.
“Our hopes for the season are to bring back the fifth Western Massachusetts Title and also to win the Smith division, then we’ll focus on States,” says Tomas, reflecting on his hopes for the rest of his season.