By Nolan Rabine
For Saratoga TODAY
SARATOGA SPRINGS – With the fall high school sports season winding down, and sectional playoffs set to begin, the Saratoga soccer program is in a great place. Both the boys and girls varsity teams have stellar records as they head towards the final stretches of the season.
The boys’ team sits in fourth place in the suburban council, with eleven wins, three losses, and one tie, as they trail only Shaker (13-2-1), Bethlehem (12-4-0), and Ballston Spa, whose team is in the middle of a magical season, currently riding a perfect record (16-0-0) to a quest for a sectional championship. The Saratoga girl’s team has found similar success in the 2015 campaign as well, as they too are in fourth place, with an 11-3-2 record. As both teams found themselves in fights for the best playoff seed possible, the boys finished strong against their arch-rival, Shenendehowa, with a tight 2-1 victory, while the girls’ team tied the undefeated Shenendehowa, 1-1, in the final game of the season, both Saratoga teams boosting their confidence at the best possible time.
Saratoga boys’ Senior Goalkeeper Duncan Moller says his team is one of the hardest working teams in the section, and plans to fight hard in the two rivalry games to conclude the season. "The team has high expectations going into the playoffs, but we cannot get too ahead of ourselves," Moller continued. "As long as we play our game, and execute correctly, we can beat anyone." Coach Jeffrey Geller agrees, as he credits this year's success to his players working hard in the offseason with their respective club teams.
Geller also credits players such as striker Stephen Klimek, center backs Ian Starnes and Jake Milstein, striker Robb MacDonald, midfielders Tyler Chung, Tommy Pendergrass, Justin Klotz, Kevin Powers, and Liron Mazaki, and outside backs Connor Fenoff and Kyle Newton, among others. Geller also notes that Juniors Danny Varsames, Mat LaRosa, and Konstantinos Tsitos, have all "added valuable play during the season," while also adding that Junior Hunter Choy has "done a great job for the team in goal this season." With both players and coach attributing the boys’ team's success to hard work off the field, the girls' team is in a similar situation. Senior Cassidy Henderson says a lot of their success has come from the work they've put in off the field. Henderson also says the team is "a really great group of girls who know and care a lot about each other." She is also confident that the team chemistry, as well as the "hard work they've put in every day” will help them reach their goals this season.
Both Saratoga teams' tireless effort is clearly paying off, but they're not done yet, as they both enter sectional playoffs next week strong mentally and with great confidence.
