Eagles Soccer Soars

Photo Credit: whssoccerboosters on Instagram

By Jasper Langdon '27

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, Eagles soccer kicked off its season as the boys took a 3-0 loss versus the South Windsor Bobcats, with the girls team following right behind on Sept. 9 with a tough 2-1 loss versus the Hall Titans.

After an exciting last season that started slowly for the boys team, they ended up with an 11-2-3 record, claiming the No. 4 seed in the CIAC Class L playoffs. The boys' season ended in heartbreaking fashion as they lost in the championship game versus the No. 14 seed Simsbury Trojans in penalty kicks after a hard-fought battle of a game.

On the other side of the field, the girls team came out of the gate strong last season, winning seven of its first 10 games, eventually ending its season with an 11-4-1 record and the No. 8 seed in CIAC Class L. The girls' season came to an end in the quarterfinals, where they lost to No. 1 seed East Catholic in overtime following a good showing versus an excellent team.

Boys Soccer
Taking a look at both WHS soccer teams this season, their strategies are very different, with the boys team looking to rebuild after losing 15 seniors, five of whom were all-conference, including All-State player and GameTimeCT Player of the Year Ramo Ahmetovic.

In an interview with boys senior captain Damian Sardo, he said, "Our biggest weakness may be our youth and lack of experience as players, but that could be turned into a positive. We are a very coachable team with a bright future ahead."

The boys program is far from inexperienced, though, with boys captain Gus Spaeder saying, "It is just the amount of experience with the Wethersfield soccer program with 16 state championships and our great coaches."

Overall, the boys are definitely a team to watch develop this season, with their young core only improving alongside their incredibly experienced and long-time coach, Rob Jachym, at the helm. Not to mention their dedicated captains working to improve at every turn and unlock this roster's full potential.

Girls Soccer
On the girls' side of things, hopes are high as they only lost three seniors following last season, one of those being All-New England player Bella Destefani. There is definitely excitement around this team as, in a preseason poll, GameTimeCT has the girls winning the CIAC Class L title over East Catholic.

After losing their first two games, it may be easy to feel like the season is going in the wrong direction, but while speaking with Eagles soccer broadcaster Tom McCarter, he said, "The first two games of this season are no reflection of this team or how their season will go. Coach Cameron is a very good coach that will switch things around until it works." Evidently McCarter was right, as the girls have caught fire, taking their last two games both by a score of 3-1.

Injuries are something that may have factored into the girls' slow start, as Eagles offensive driver and junior Addison Yanosy started this season by missing the first two games. Upon her return, she made her presence felt by scoring in just her second match back versus Enfield.

Another injured player the girls are waiting on is keystone defender and senior captain Grace Grzymajlo, who was hurt in last season's semifinal game versus East Catholic. As of now, Grzymajlo’s date of return is unknown, but whenever that is, the girls’ already solid defense can only get better.

A Look Ahead
Looking ahead, the next home games for both teams fall on Sept. 24 as there are back-to-back games starting with the girls at 5 p.m., playing a struggling Avon team looking for its first win. Then, at 6:30 p.m., the boys play a formidable Enfield squad that is coming off a loss versus Plainville.

Notable home matchups for the boys this season include the rivalry game versus Newington on Oct. 14, a game under the lights versus Platt on Oct. 23, and their final home game versus Rocky Hill on Oct. 26.

Notable home games this season for the girls include their game under the lights versus Southington on Oct. 16 and their final home game versus Middletown on Oct. 20. But most of the girls' exciting matchups take place on the road this season, with them set to take on the currently undefeated Glastonbury Guardians at Glastonbury High School on Sept. 28.

As the season ramps up, there is no doubt we will get to see some excellent soccer this year at Wethersfield High School, and with the amount of talent on display, we can only begin to hope there is something big in store for WHS soccer this season.

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