By Eddie Rodriguez | Distribution Manager
Despite the loss of essential teammate Carlos Cervantes, seniors Agustin Cervera, Daniel Chavez, Alex Flaherty and Kelley Kennedy have high hopes for this season’s Pirate soccer team.
The senior boys have been solidifying their chemistry over the past six years and believe this season will be good due to their collective experience.
“We’ve known each other since the fifth grade; it’s cool that we do. We have a lot of respect for each other,” Kennedy said.
Recently the team has dealt with multiple injuries. The main injury of note is that of Cervantes, a team captain who took a hard kick to the ankle and suffered a fracture and displaced fibula and tibia.
“I felt disappointed. My season was over; I was incompetent as I have to sit on the sidelines and watch my team play.” Cervantes said. Although, all the pain and the fear of my injury heavily outweighed all other emotions at the time,”
Cervantes was an attacking offensive player who was essential to the Pirate’s line, and his loss came as a hard hit to the team’s offensive play. However, Cervantes expects to return to the field this spring and reprise his role for Euperto’s spring soccer club.
“We lost an amazing right wing, which really hurts our team,” Kennedy said.
Despite the loss of Cervantes, the team is looking toward season goals and plans to further improve their standings in the Midwestern League by finishing in the top three.
The seniors made this goal a top priority for their season and hope to set the tone for the younger players. Cervera believes that once the seniors leave, the younger players will be able to fill leadership roles.
“Being upperclassmen, you have to put an example for the younger guys so when we’re gone they know what’s expected from our program,” Cervera said.
Meanwhile the seniors, who make up most of the team this year, are “the glue” of the team and will keep everyone on task and working hard, according to Kennedy.
“We are the core of the team and make up half the team this year, with no guarantee of a possible full team next year,” Kennedy said.
The senior boys are conscious of their tasks as leaders on and off the field. According to Flaherty their experience has carried the morale of the team. With the season coming to a conclusion, the Pirates are expecting to put their experience to work.
“We are pretty evenly matched with most teams, except Marist,” Flaherty said.
Flaherty and his senior teammates hope to reach their goals this season through all the hard work they have put in over the past four years.
“Knowing each other has helped our team develop into a better program,” Kennedy said.
