A tough fight was put up against the New Trier Trevians on Sept. 7, however, the Niles West Wolves’ soccer team still couldn’t obtain the win. In the end, the score was 1-4.
At the beginning of the game, the Wolves were playing hard with strong communication and a good build-up. Moving forward, the players acknowledge they have to change certain things about their play to make out a win, like their mentality.
“However, for our upcoming games, I think the team, and myself, should change our mentality. We need to be more serious because before games. We joke around even during half-time no matter whether we are winning or losing. The team needs to get hyped in a way where we are still focused, but still excited to play with one another,” sophomore Kenan Orman said.
Out on the field, the Wolves were able to develop their own skills and build their chemistry as a team. The positives showed throughout the game.
“New Trier had possession over the game; however, we did a great job defending their tactics and plays. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to finish, but we learned a lot from this game. Our goal was to simply keep the ball [in our possession] as much as possible. We did this by slowing the game down and making each move step by step,” senior Arun Krishna said.
Individually, players do have a responsibility on the field. Junior captain, Tarik Louafi, is the center mid for the soccer team and he is able to help the team by controlling the pace and the style of the game. He is able to connect with everybody on the field and assist his teammates, with support, when it is necessary.
Even with the loss against the Trevians, Louafi sees it as an opportunity to grow.
“Our team has a very strong bond with one another, so despite a win or loss we are all able to come together without any negative effects on the team morale. After each game, we communicate about how we can improve how we play,” Louafi said.
The Wolves are working hard to try to elevate their level of play and to incorporate new athletes.
“We had to incorporate a lot of new faces this year, so it has been tough to get through our mix of chemistry and ability. Although, the team has been doing a great job showing up to practice and really working hard, the biggest things the team needs to work on are playing with poise, playing up to their level of ability and just really responding to the challenge required in games. I look forward to seeing what they can do because I feel like we haven’t even been able to come close to reaching our ability,” assistant coach Bill Papaioannou said.
The Varsity boys had their first conference game this week. Their next game is Thursday, Sept. 14. Don’t forget to come support and cheer on the Wolves!
