The Lynbrook boys soccer team held its senior night last Friday, February 8, defeating Cupertino 2-0.
In the process, Lynbrook bid farewell to four graduating seniors.
The seniors left with fond memories, agreeing that they would miss the bond that they have developed over their careers on the team.
“I’ll miss playing with the team and hanging out with the people," four-year veteran Shuvam Chaudhuri said. "This was probably my last time playing organized soccer too and that’s been a big part of my life thus far. I’m gonna miss seeing the younger guys grow up.”
The fondness is shared among the younger players; sophomore Chaitanya Khoche said that “the seniors of our team were probably the hardest workers. They really tried to set a good example to the younger players in practice and games by pushing themselves and the rest of the team.”
Being on the team allowed the seniors to not only develop close relationships with their teammates and classmates, but also focus on their own improvement.
“All I can say is that I have enjoyed my four years playing soccer for Lynbrook," senior Jeffrey Pea said. "I have truly improved my skills and athletic ability, and while I may have lost some playing time, I am glad that those replacing me have extraordinary talent. I wish the best of luck to Lynbrook soccer when I leave and I hope future teams will carry the school’s name and pride to its fullest.”
Added Lynbrook coach Joe Simas: “[They] all worked hard this year and I wish them the best. I’m gonna miss them [unlike] anything else. We’re all part of a family here at Lynbrook, so we’re going to be missing them because they do contribute a lot of talent to the team.”
Amid all the sweet memories, the younger players are aware they have much work to do in coming seasons.
“I believe that we had a lot of potential this season, but we unnecessarily threw away some games," Knoche said. "In some games our potential did show, and in others, we just collapsed.”
With only four players graduating from the team, the players of the 2013-2014 team look forward to a team well-familiarized with each other.
“The freshmen will become sophomores and they played a huge role in this year’s season which means they will have experience playing in varsity and will be able to contribute a lot more next year," sophomore Andrew Bae said.
For the coming year, the goal for Lynbrook will be making it to CCS. From Khoche’s perspective, this is attainable.
“We have a very young and talented team, whereas other teams have graduating seniors as their key players," Knocke said. "Also, pretty much all the members of this year's team will be returning, and some JV players will come up too. This will definitely strengthen our lineup.”
The Vikings concluded their season with a 3-0 loss to rival Monta Vista.
