Going from the bottom of the league standings to second place in the competitive DeAnza league, the boys’ varsity soccer team made a lot of progress throughout the season, letting the consistent wins speak for themselves.

When juniors Rachel Leonard and Amanda Schwartz met through a mutual friend while playing in American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) when they were only 7, they never thought they would one day end up becoming as close as they are now.

With the preseason coming to an end, the boys’ soccer team achieved a 3-2 record, most recently beating Prospect 2-1 on Dec. 7.

Competing in one of the top leagues in CCS, the De Anza league, the girls on the varsity soccer team have a challenge ahead of them this season. The team rose up to the challenge in its first few pre-season games of the year.

“This is our year.”
Coaches say it all the time in many sports themed movies during the climax, when they rally their players to finally win the championship game they had worked so hard for. It always seems cliché to say.

Hanging from the walls of the Large Gym are banners commemorating the school's CCS champions in sports like tennis and football. But none hangs for boys' soccer—something a talented boys' soccer team thinks it has a chance of fixing this year.

For freshman Audrie Pott, the best feeling in the world is scoring a goal for her soccer team. Soccer has been Pott’s favorite sport for as long as she could remember; she started playing when she was only 2.

“Soccer has always been my No. 1 sport,” Pott said. “I plan to play throughout high school too, and see where that takes me.”

Pott enjoys every aspect of being part of a team and is looking forward to joining the school’s girls’ soccer team.

Since freshman year my niche has been the pool. I have long been defined as an aquatic creature and my athletic career has (until this point) been contained within the lane lines and the water polo cage.

This reputation is likely the reason it seemed like so many people were staring at me when I showed up for soccer tryouts or it may have been the baby blue socks that had clearly become obsolete since my days as a youth on the soccer field. The question accompanying the stares: “You play soccer?”
The best response I could muster was, “It’s been a while.”

As Troy Doles intercepted and closed his hands over the football in the most crucial play of the Saratoga-Los Gatos game on Oct. 22, not only did the junior defensive back help end the 27-year losing streak to LG, he also sealed himself into Saratoga football history.

If the members of the boys’ soccer team want to make it to CCS again, they will have to win in a tougher league and without last year’s top scorer.

The team’s tryouts began Nov 1 and continued throughout the week. This year, the team had minor changes to their coaching staff, since Adam Clarke will be returning as varsity head coach, but JV will be taken over by Michael Patrick. The team also has recruited a new keeper coach, Jim Hull. Saratoga high alumnus Brandon Chow will be returning to help coach.