On Tuesday, September 9, Linganore Varsity Boys’ Soccer came back strong with a 2-1 win over Manchester Valley in their first game of the regular season.
Last season, Linganore played Manchester Valley in a preseason scrimmage in which the Lancers dominated the game winning 4-2. Ahead of the game, head coach Zackary Yurich, a Linganore social studies teacher, shared high expectations for his team’s matchup with Manchester Valley.
“It should be a very good game,” Yurich said. “It’s one game where we can go in and get a positive result out of it.”
Despite Yurich’s high expectations for the game, the team ultimately did not deliver. The Lancers started off slow both offensively and defensively, getting the ball taken and making mistakes that resulted in Manchester Valley scoring an early goal to take the lead.
“We had a poor warmup and [we were] not being focused enough on the things we needed to do before the game,” Yurich said.
However, Yurich highlighted the team’s resilience that contributed to their win.
“We stick together no matter what, whether we’re playing well or not,” Yurich said.
Although Linganore did not dominate as they had hoped, they still walked away victorious. The game was 0-1 until the last few minutes, when junior Charlie Glassman scored to tie the game. Overtime was a Golden Goal format, with the first team to score becoming the winner.
The winning goal was scored by Linganore senior Wyatt Valenzuela, 53 seconds into overtime. With the win secured, the team showcased resilience and the ability to perform under pressure.
Despite securing a win, Glassman shared his thoughts on how the team could improve for the next match. He commented on the team’s ability to communicate and play as a team.
“I think we can improve on talking and communication, especially while getting back on defense,” Glassman said.
Linganore’s Athletic Director Howie Putterman was a former soccer coach at Linganore. He had positive comments about the direction of the boys soccer program at Linganore.
“When I first got here, it was a growing program,with new coaches and a new identity,” Putterman said. “We are definitely taking the right steps forward.”
