Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, SEpTEmbEr 8, 2023 Sachems boys soccer team looks to defend Division Championship title By Dom Nicastro T he Saugus High School boys soccer team returns to the fields this fall as defending Northeastern Conference Lynch Division champions. And they have nothing but confidence they’ll make more noise this season. Guillermo Sepulveda, a Spanish teacher in the Saugus school system, returns for his third season. He’s been building the program steadily and is ready to make another run at success on the North Shore this fall. Saugus finished 13-32 in the 2022 season and lost to Stoneham in the opening round of the tourney. Saugus, which opens up on the road at Winthrop Wednesday, Sept. 6, has been actively participating in preseason matches to gauge its performance and readiness for the upcoming season. It faced Boston Latin Academy in a match that culminated in a tie. This was followed by a loss to Northeast, but the team bounced back with a victory against Malden. Sepulveda expressed genuine satisfaction with the to strive for excellence. These captains have been with the team since their eighth-grade years, witnessing the highs and lows, and their commitment is unwavering. Their dedication is a testament to their love for the game and their teammates, according to their coach. “Our strength for the full Saugus forward Alejandro Ortega tracked down a loose ball during a match last year against Beverly. (Advocate file photo) team’s evolving dynamics. He highlighted the noticeable improvement in the team’s chemistry, emphasizing their enhanced connection on the field. The team has been focusing on refining their passing techniques and ensuring fluid movement as a cohesive unit, which is pivotal for their gameplay. The team is facing challenges with the departure of four pivotal starters from the previous year. This included two crucial strikers, a center-midfielder and a defender. Despite these significant losses, Sepulveda remains optimistic about the team’s ability to adapt and restructure. He believes in the potential of the current players to fill the gaps and continue the legacy of excellence. “We lost four starters, but we’ll put it together again this year,” he said. The backbone of the Saugus boys soccer team lies in its leadership. The team boasts three captains – Alejandro Ortega, a senior, Brian Pineda, a senior, and Nicolas DeOliveira, a senior – who not only lead by example but also inspire their teammates team is our captains,” Sepulveda said. “They own the team, they are invested in the team, and everybody wants to play at their best for those three guys, for the seniors on our team that have been with us since they were in eighth grade and we were losing every game.” Ortega is lauded as one of the best players around the North Shore. His skills and soccer knowledge are unparalleled, making him a go-to player when a play needs to happen. Pineda is celebrated for his leadership skills. He is the driving force on the field, managing the team and even running practices. His dedication is profound, according to his coach. De Oliveira is a defensive maestro. His expertise in building and managing the defense is crucial for the team’s success. Sepulveda’s vision for his team is not just limited to soccer. He sees the potential in his players, especially in his leaders, to excel beyond the field. He believes that the leadership skills they are honing now can be assets in their future careers, emphasizing the importance of leadership in all spheres of life. “This is something they could put on a college application or a job resume,” he said. “… We need more leaders in this world.” Sepulveda wants to impart on his players that hard work lays the foundation for success. His journey to Saugus started in Texas, and before his gig in public school systems he was in grocery retail, once pulling off each profession. Now a Spanish teacher and soccer coach, he feels like he’s been living the dream. He feels his personal experiences resonate with many of his players, making his bond with them even stronger. Saugus opens up its home schedule Monday, Sept. 11 against Masconomet at 4 p.m. It’s on the road again at Salem Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 4:30 p.m. Sachem Girls Soccer looks to better last year’s successful season S By Dom Nicastro augus has been the real deal when it comes to girls soccer. In the last seven seasons, it’s gone 84-36-5 for a winning percentage of .692 in the regular season. Last year, the team finished 12-5-1 in the regular season and drew the No. 22 seed in the Division 3 tournament. It beat Southeastern, 6-0, in the preliminary round and then got past Tantasqua Regional in the first round, 2-1. Saugus exited the tourney in the Round of 16 with a 3-1 loss to Belchertown. It was the most wins in the postseason for Saugus in recent memory and gives the team some inspiration heading into the 2023 season. Chris Coviello leads the Sachems into this fall after coaching for a couple of decades. And the recent past has been excellent. The Sachems won one postseason match in 2021, when they went 10-8-0 in the regular season. Saugus went 12-6-0 in 2019 and lost to Fenwick in the first round of the Division 3 North tourney. The Sachems were the No. 2 seed in 2018 with a 15-2-1 record and beat Bedford, 1-0, in overtime before falling to Swampscott in the quarterfiSaugus forward and now Co-Capt. Madi Femino is shown breaking past a Salem defender in last year’s action against the Witches at Bertram Field in Salem. (Advocate file photo) nals. In 2017, Saugus was 17-0-1 and the No. 1 seed but fell to Wayland in Round 1. In 2016, Saugus was 10-80 and lost to Weston in the opening round. It was 8-7-2 and lost to Weston in the first round in 2015. The last time Saugus didn’t make the postseason? 2014. That’s a streak of seven straight seasons getting into The Dance; 2020 had no postseason. They’re hungry to get back after being just one win away from the state quarterfinals last fall. “We lost to Belchertown, and we came out a little slow in that game,” Coviello said of the 2022 postseason. “And I think they smelled the blood. They were up, 3-1, and we had a chance to score late in the game, but we didn’t and it kind of just played out after that. It was great season.” Numbers-wise the team is right where they left off last season. The Sachems weren’t heavily depleted by graduation at all and look forward to having their veterans back. They have experience all throughout the field. “We’re going to have a good mixture of offensive and defensive players,” Coviello said. “Our strength will be our offense. We have a good defense, but we are going to be an offensive-minded team between my midfielders and strikers.” Saugus is led by captains Madi Femino, a senior forward, Violet Hawley, a senior defender, and Madison Botta, a junior forward. Botta was an Eastern Mass. All-Star last year and can light it up from a goal-scoring perspective. Femino was dinged up a little bit last year and missed the tournament games but she’s back healthy. Hawley, along with Botta, was a Northeastern Conference allstar for Saugus, which came in second in the Northeastern Conference Lynch Division behind champion Swampscott. The team is heavy on juniors with nine, and brings in seven seniors, so it’s got a lot of experience and veterans. Players like Lilian Hernandez, a junior midfielder, and Danica Schena, a junior defender, will see more time this season. Junior Tori Carter is back as goalkeeper. Veronica Ortega, a senior midfielder, returns to provide strength up the middle. Coviello likes what he sees so far. The team opens up at home Wednesday, Sept. 6 against Winthrop then travels to Masconomet Monday, Sept. 11 for a 4:30 p.m. matchup. It hosts Salem Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 4:30 p.m. “We’ve been moving the ball the last two games,” Coviello said of preseason scrimmages. “The other day [Aug. 29 against Revere] was good and then [Aug. 31 against Lynn Classical] was really good.”
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