the index · sports
Page 19
November 2020
Despite brief schedule, soccer Fords kick into action Alexander Nekoumand ‘23
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he varsity soccer team is ready for a shortened but exciting soccer season. “As a senior and a captain, I want to make the best of our shortened season and do the best I can for my teammates,” Sixth Form Captain Kieran Bradley said. This season will be different, but the team is ready to make the most of what is ahead.
The boys are buzzing and are ready to be back in action as they took a tough exit out of the state championship last fall. The boys are buzzing and are ready to be back in action as they took a tough exit out of the state championship last fall. Due to the pandemic, setbacks delayed the begin-
ning of the season. “I appreciate how Mike Murphy and John Nagl kept the dream alive by fighting for a season in our league,” Varsity Soccer Coach Mr. Keefe said. It won’t be an easy season for the Fords, as games consist of Inter-Ac rivals Episcopal Academy, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, Germantown Academy, and Penn Charter. “I am really excited for our game against EA, which is scheduled to be played under the lights at their field,” Bradley said. “This is one of the many games the boys have marked on the calendar and just can’t keep their eyes off of. This is one of those games the team has been looking forward to since the beginning of the school year!” With an abundance of good news in such a short amount of time, the boys know they are still living in a cautious world. Restrictions will be enforced during this revised season, such as limited fan attendance, masks for those in attendance, and only league games. Players are disappointed that limited
TYLER ZIMMER ‘21
Sebastian Perez-Gasiba ’24 works his way through the SCH defense in a 0-1 loss,
fan attendance will be a rule this year, but they are excited to represent The Haverford School and make everyone proud. Still, the team is grateful to be back and competing with each other. This revised season will look different, but the varsity soccer
team is not taking anything for granted. “We are a school of scholars, athletes, and artists,” Coach Keefe said. “Without the ability to find artistry in play on the field or connection with teammates, men at The Haverford School lose a part of themselves.”
Golfers face cold, windy weather in late contests Bowen Deng ‘22
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he Inter-Ac golf season has arrived—albeit much later than usual—and with five scheduled matches in November, the Fords look to make the most out of their abbreviated fall season. Under the veteran leadership of Sixth Form captains Tyler Zimmer, Jake Maddaloni, and coach Cole Berman ’14, the team has their eyes set on yet another Inter-Ac title in an unusual season. For Berman, the biggest challenge is man-
aging the team during the pandemic that creates “daily uncertainty.” “We all want to have practice and matches, but school is the priority,” Berman said. “We are all trying to find the right balance that allows the team to be safe and healthy while having normal in-season opportunities.” With the end of Daylight Saving Time, golfers will have less daylight to work with. This will force them to tee off earlier than usual.
Edward Trumpbour ’21 lines up for a shot during a golf match
TYLER ZIMMER ‘21
“We will be starting our matches nearly two hours earlier than normal to ensure that all groups are finished before dark,” said Berman.
“We all want to have practice and matches, but school is the priority.” COACH COLE BERMAN ’14 If last year’s EA Day is any indication, golfers can expect relatively cold temperatures and heavy winds, which decrease carrying distance and faster greens which is a stark contrast to the usual fall breeze. The Fords are no strangers to challenging conditions. “We’re all upperclassmen who have played for a few years,” Zimmer said, “so we know how to go low despite strange circumstances.” “The temperature will definitely be colder, but that shouldn’t affect anyone because our competition will have the same course conditions as [we do],” Maddaloni said. Another challenge the team will face is the sudden thrust into the season. In previous years, Haverford golfers came into the first
match fresh with experience from a string of summer tournaments. As the school year starts, outside tournaments occur less frequently, and with the season beginning so late this year, the Fords must adjust as quickly as possible. “Normally, we have summer tournaments every week,” Zimmer said. “But since there were few of them this year, we’re super excited to get back into matches because we love to compete.” Fewer tournaments does not mean the Fords are at a disadvantage. Golf is an individual sport, so team members have been practicing on their own. The team has also used their own ways to make team practices competitive to best prepare themselves for the return to matches. “We make fun intra-squad competitions to keep the right mindset,” Zimmer said. “I personally have practiced with Sixth Former Edward Trumpbour every time, so we always play some type of match.” These practices offer coaches and captains an opportunity to determine which six players will compete. “We have some new freshmen and sophomores that have shown great improvement and talent, so that will be exciting for the years to come,” Berman said.
Cross country finds motivation in three-race season Ben Szathmary ‘22
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bout one year ago, on a vivid sunny morning, the cross country team stood foot-to-foot with their adversaries, Episcopal Academy. Unfortunately, after the grueling 5k race, the Fords lost 24-32. “It’s not a loss when you just do better the next time,” Sam Reisbord ’20 said. Sam is right, but the team did not know that next year’s EA Day might not even happen. Sixth Former A.J. Sanford, one of the school’s most elite athletes, said, “With cross country not always being the most exciting sport, seeing all of my classmates and faculty come out and watch my sophomore year was a moment I’ll never forget, and I wanted the same energy my senior year,” Sanford said. There is no doubt that this season has been different for A.J. and the rest of the team. The uncertainty about having a fall cross country season posed new challenges for the
runners, especially during summer training. Runners had to stay motivated to run despite an unclear future season. Fifth Former varsity runner Colin Stewart recalled his spring and summer training. “I wasn’t even sure we’d have a season, and that sadness on top of the sort of isolation that you go through during quarantine really took a toll on my ability to effectively train over the summer,” Stewart said. Since school has opened and the team is back to a normal routine, runners have felt more normal and more motivated. The team’s excitement grew when the Inter-Ac announced a short three-meet season over the next few weeks. Though the season is short, runners like Fifth Former Jeffrey Yang are pumped. “I am excited that the Inter-Ac has worked to create some meets that [the] team can strive to perform well at and keep [them] motivated,” Yang said.
Along with the changes as a result of COVID-19, the cross country team also welcomed a new head coach, Micheal Toomey. Having coached high school, collegiate, and open-level running for over 23 years, Coach Toomey is more than equipped to coach the boys to a successful season.
“I wasn’t even sure we’d have a season.” COLIN STEWART ’22 “Each practice, I’ve felt challenged and pushed to my limits, but at the same time, I am confident that I will walk away a better runner and tougher human being,” Senior runner Ryan Ngo said. “I’m really grateful for Coach Toomey’s positive energy and his willingness to adapt to our team culture.”
MS. BARB LAPENTA
Runners toe the line against GA
