The Randolph Varsity Boys Soccer team suffered back-to-back losses this past week, falling to Delbarton 4-0 on Wednesday, Sept. 11 and losing 1-0 against Kearny on Saturday, Sept.14.
At the Delbarton match, the Green Wave applied relentless pressure on the Rams during the first half, putting three in the back of the Randolph net. Despite falling early, the boys did not give up, kept their focus and pushed forward with determination.
“We did a great job stopping their chances as well as creating our own,” senior Jack Lachanski said after the game. “With them only having five shots on target to our three, we weren’t that far off the total shots.”
Junior Gavin Vichengrad, the starting goalie for varsity, kept focused and made essential saves that kept the Rams in the game.
In the second half, the Randolph boys came out strong, starting with good communication from the defense, specifically junior Jake Rubin and senior co-captain Jayden DeCarvalho, who were able to send excellent long balls into open space. Junior co-captain RJ Dougherty and senior Bryan Garcia worked the midfield well, with quick passing and moving through Delbarton’s defense.
As the second half went on, Delbarton scored another goal, making the score 4-0. This did not appear to set back Randolph, however, instead lighting a spark of determination in the Rams.
The midfielders worked well with the forwards, using a combination of short, controlled touches and passes to find the strikers. Many shots including a penalty kick by Garcia were taken but unfortunately didn’t make it to the back of the net.
The boys were defeated but that didn’t stop them from giving their all in their next game against Kearny.
“The season moves quickly, and we have to take lessons from the Delbarton game and then move on and not let it affect the rest of our season,” Vichengrad said.
In the first half of the Kearny match, the boys kept their composure and set a solid pace for the game. They executed excellent passes and maintained a solid defense.
After a strong first half from Randolph, the Kearny soccer team mounted a fierce comeback in the second half. Though the boys fought hard, Kearny attacked, which led to a victory after a goal.
Despite the score ending in 1-0, the Rams kept their composure and continued to play strongly as a whole unit, refusing to let the score dictate their effort and teamwork.
The Rams are ready to come back stronger in the next match against Morris Hills, today, Monday, Sept. 16, at home.
