Strikers take on preseason games
by Katrina Lin
Both the varsity and JV strikers will kick-off Almont League play with a match against the Mark Keppel Aztecs Dec. 20.
Concluding their preseason Dec. 18 at home, the boys soccer teams are scheduled to compete against the Downey Vikings. Varsity currently holds a 3-4-3 record, while JV has a 5-5-0 record.
The strikers played against the South Pasadena Tigers yesterday at home, but scores were unavailable at press time.
In a Dec. 10 home game, the varsity strikers fell short to the Locke Saints, 2-1, while the JV team won, 2-1.
“At first the team was struggling on understanding their roles as players and things were not clicking as a team and we were in a plateau for a little while,” said Adam Parada, JV coach. “After Monday’s win against Locke, things started to click because they played with energy and some players brought extra energy to the team. I think we passed that speed bump and we are going full throttle now,” said Parada. “I am expecting great things from this team.”
Playing against the La Serna Lancers Dec. 4, both teams were defeated with scores of 1-0. The varsity and JV teams lost an away game against the El Rancho Dons Nov. 30 with scores of 2-1 and 3-0, respectively.
“I think our team needs to be able to play with the hunger for winning the game, which drives us to be better,” said Brandon Cortez, varsity captain. “We have not accessed that potential as a team yet.”
In a Nov. 24 home game, the varsity strikers defeated the Adelanto Saints, 6-0, while the JV team fell short, 3-0.
Playing against the Norwalk Bears Nov. 20, both teams were defeated with scores of 4-2 and 3-0, respectively. The varsity team tied the South El Monte Eagles Nov. 17, while the JV team won, 1-0.
“We are a good team, but we have been making unnecessary mistakes,” said Cortez. “I believe we tend to get too confident during the games and start to ‘mess up,’ which leads to a tie or causes us to lose the game. We need to be more committed and go to weight room.”
In their away games against the Santa Fe Chiefs Nov. 15, the varsity team won, 4-1, and the JV team lost, 3-2.