By Paige Szygiel –  Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s boys soccer team is excited to put their hard work to the test this season.

The team’s goal for this season is to make states and to beat rival Foran. This year, the team brings a whole new energy and tenacity to the table.  

“Our goal for the season is to make states and at least win one game in the tournament,” senior captain Ian Hugo said.

This season the boys soccer team has a new coach, Mike Gruber. His style of coaching is a lot different from the previous coach, Donato Piselli.

“He’s a great coach,” sophomore Kevin Linn said. “He knows what he’s doing and prepares us for games.”

A goalkeeper coach has also been practicing with senior goalkeeper Jaret Petrie, junior goalkeeper Eoin Byrne, and sophomore goalkeeper Jack Pincus-Coyle.

A lot of things have changed since Gruber has taken the new coaching position. Their formation has changed just a little. Linn was very successful last year, scoring 12 goals from the forward position. This year he is primarily a forward but can be deployed in other positions as well thanks to his versatility on the field.

“We are working on our positioning a lot, covering is one of the most important things we do,” said junior Dennis Sweeney. “Especially marking back because covering back is what can help us win games.”

Senior captain Taylan Altin is one of the many key players on the team. During the Foran game, he stepped up to score the only goal against the Lions.  He scored a goal from a free kick 10 yards from midfield with 5:20 remaining in the first half.

“Our team has been working hard, and I’m happy that we got that win,” Altin said.

Last year, the boys soccer team made it to states, where they lost in the first round. This year, they plan to qualify for states again, but they are striving to go farther in the competition.

“I’m pretty confident that we’re going to go to states this year,” Hugo said. “We’ve been working all summer and have been practicing hard to make sure we get the results we want.”

Senior captain Antonio Gjuraj has been dealing an injury that has kept him out of a few games and practices but that hasn’t stopped him from getting the results he wants.
“My injury did set me back from practicing and playing a couple of games, but that only motivates me even more to work harder,” said Gjuraj. “I want to see results and have my team achieve our goals.”