Varsity Boys Soccer Springs into the Spring Season with a Scrimmage
On March 7, the Phoenix boys varsity soccer team went up against the Millbrook Pioneers for their first scrimmage of the 2022-23 spring season. The game ended with a score of 1-1.
March 9, 2023
As the 2022-2023 spring sports season began, returning and new varsity soccer athletes tested their skills and teamwork with their first scrimmage on March 7. The boys had to play through cold weather and harsh winds, something they felt had a negative impact on their performance. “The conditions last night were pretty harsh, with the wind and the cold, so I think that kind of took a toll on not just me but a lot of the players,” junior Ibbi Rostom said. Fortunately, the athletes had support from not only team members and coaches, but also Phoenix soccer alumni Tai Trieu and Mo Hammadi.
The Phoenix started off the game strong with good teamwork and communication. However, despite their effort, the Pioneers took the lead in the first half with a score of 1-0. The Pioneers continued to stay in the lead throughout the first half and second half. However, with only about 10 minutes left on the clock, sophomore Rishit Choudhari scored a goal with the assist of sophomore Hylay Assefa. “I wasn’t having a great game until [I made that goal], so it felt really good,” Choudhari said.
Despite efforts from both teams to score a goal in the last few minutes, the game ended with a tie of 1-1.
The Phoenix boys felt like they had a lot of improvements to make after the scrimmage, but they were also hopeful for their future as a team. “For it being the first game of the season, I felt that [the team] had been playing together for like three years,” Rostom said. “There’s still a lot we need to work on, but we’re a young group and I think we have the mentality to keep working hard and move forward. This is a new formation for a lot of us, including myself, but there were a lot of guys going forward and it felt like the guys were comfortable taking players on and being creative.”
The next home game will be on Wednesday, March 15 against the Riverside Rams.