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Team Photo
Team picture with Williston. Photos by Steve Nalbandian
It was a week of wins for the Putnam Science Academy soccer teams, and it included a historic one at that.
The school fielded a girls’ soccer team for the first time in its history Sept. 14, and the Mustangs did not disappoint, showing like a team that had been clicking for years in an 11-2 win over The Masters School of Simsbury.
Ana Aldaz scored four goals, including the first in program history, and Karol Souza also had four goals plus an assist. Zanashia Croft had a goal and an assist, and Ana Velasco and Ana Garcia had one goal apiece. Tais Mota and Elisha Clinkscale also had assists in the win.
Coach Jen Bennett met her players for the first time about two weeks ago. Most of them had only just met each other as well, and none of them had ever played together. Also on that first day of practice, there were only six players on the team. In the time since then, injuries have hit hard, and only nine players were available Saturday (the teams played 9 vs. 9, as Masters was short-handed also). Still, the Mustangs have come a long way in a short time.
“I’m incredibly proud of the girls,” Bennett said. “They focused on the soccer and not the numbers or injuries. This was a great day for them.”
Boys’ Soccer
The PSA boys’ soccer First Team won a pair of games, beating Williston (Mass.) 2-1 Sept. 11 and The Hun School (NJ) 4-0 Sept. 15.
In the season-opener against Williston, Jenluis Paredes scored a goal and Jesus Barea added a second-half penalty kick. Neither coach Sam DeMello nor his players were particularly happy with the way the team played in that game, citing a lack of urgency and aggression.
The mood changed in Sunday’s game played just outside of Philadelphia, as DeMello said his team “came out ready to play and had a strong first half. We played real well. The boys did a great job. Real happy with how they played.”
Barea scored twice for the Mustangs (2-0), while Aiden Muller and Gabrielle Formiconi had one apiece. PSA’s First Team plays again Wednesday at Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.)
The boys Second Team opened its season Sept 13 with a 9-1 win over Rectory. Luca Almeida recorded a first-half hat trick for the Mustangs, and six others tallied one goal apiece.
After missing on a number of chances early, the Mustangs got goals from David Menzies, Artur Silva, and Almeida in about a six-minute span about 15 minutes into the game to take control. Xavier Lee made it 4-0 before Almeida scored back-to-back goals for a 6-0 halftime lead. Jaime Mendo, Paulo Carvalho, and Javier Gil rounded out the scoring.
“We’re not really looking at the goals,” PSA coach Ivan Damilura said. “It’s more of how we play. We’re looking to hold our possession and move up and create opportunities. Combining in the front, combining in the midfield, and being solid in the back. Looking for communication, vision, movement of the ball.
“Goals are going to happen. How we get to the goals is what matters to me.”
Almeida echoed his coach’s sentiments, saying, “Scoring goals is good, but I’d rather we had played well.”
By Steve Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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