The Upper School’s JV Men’s soccer team finished its season undefeated on October 31st, with an impressive record of 12-0-2. This team has been showcasing impressive teamwork, skill, and determination.
One of these games was against the College Preparatory School, where they made a stunning comeback from 0-1 down. JV captain Noah Auffhammer, who is a junior, said his favorite memory on the team this year was “our 8-1 win against Berkeley, where we had a great team performance.” Auffhammer is a consistent goalscorer, but he also leads the team with the second most assists at a staggering 5 assists.
Auffhammer also spoke about the CPS game and how the win came down to a last-minute block from junior Gus Jenkins. The win meant a lot to the team, according to Auffhammer, because CPS had brought down some players from varsity to play. 11th Grader Ferris Warner responded to a question about this game and what it meant to him to win. He said that it was fun to play against more advanced players and that he enjoyed playing with his teammates and being able to share an unforgettable memory.
Owen Goldberg and Arthur Robert, two freshmen on the team, are leading the team in goals this season with 9 goals each. With this amazing record this season, one big question that is on a lot of people’s minds: how will JV and varsity do next year?
A major change will be implemented next year for the soccer program as it will switch from the fall to the winter season. It will be a real challenge for both varsity and JV next season as their opponents will get progressively better. Freshman Sajan Pandya said, “If a lot of good freshmen come next year and the varsity team is still solid, then both teams should be fine.” Pandya has also helped the team win some important games, for example, scoring a game-winner against International and assisting in the Redwood Christian game.
Assistant Coach Julian Jarquin said the JV season was very impressive because it was the first time the JV team had gone undefeated, despite having a team with seven freshmen. This team will definitely change next year, as 8 juniors will potentially be moved up to the varsity team, and multiple other players from this year’s JV team will also join them. Despite losing key players, the success of the JV team, according to Pandya, should continue next season with the help of multiple incoming sophomores and juniors.