The varsity boys’ soccer team earned a win against the Vandegrift Vipers in an exciting game on Friday, Jan. 20. After fighting hard from start to finish, the Warriors ended the game with a final score of 2-0.

But this win didn’t come easily; lots of hard work went into preparing for tough games like this one.

“We’ve been practicing for an hour or two every day,” Doug D’Lacoste ‘17 said  “We practice everything from passing, to movement, to working as a team, and I think our relationship with each other due to us practicing together all the time is what made us so prepared for this game.”

Both the Warriors and the Vipers started the game with energy levels at a maximum. Due to their unrelenting aggression, the majority of the first half was very back and forth, with a few missed scoring opportunities on both sides. However, the Warriors broke this pattern towards the end of the half when Eduardo Rodriguez ‘19 scored an impressive one on one shot with the goalkeeper to the center of the goal after an assist from Doug D’Lacoste ‘17. The first half concluded with high morale for the Warriors and a score of 1-0.

The second half proved difficult, as Vandegrift became more eager for a goal of their own and the Warriors grew wearier. Nonetheless, the team managed to match the high intensity of their opponents by executing skillful plays and excellent teamwork. Their determination and tenacity paid off and ultimately earned them a second goal with just two minutes left in the game. Eduardo Garcia ‘17 crossed the ball to Nik Vrudhula ‘17, who shot the ball with one touch into the top right-hand corner. As the crowd went wild, the players fed off their energy and enthusiastically celebrated their essentially secured win. The game came to a close with a score of 2-0, establishing a strong start to the season for the varsity boys.

“This was easily the best we’ve played all year. I’m very happy with the way we pushed forward in the second half,” varsity soccer coach Phil Duhon said. “We battled through a lot of adversity, a lot of cramping issues, but kept putting fresh guys out there and managed to get the second goal in the end to close it out.”

According to D’Lacoste, though the win was sweet, what made the victory even sweeter was getting to share it with his teammates.

“It’s my senior year, I’m just looking forward to having fun with my team. Obviously winning is fun, but that’s not the most important thing. I think growing up as a family through these four years is the most important thing for me,” D’Lacoste said.

The varsity and JV boys’ soccer teams will face off against Bowie High School on Tuesday, Jan. 24. Come out and support the JV boys at 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. and the varsity boys at 7:45 p.m. at the Warrior Bowl.