Academy
prep soccer
ready to get
underway
It’s true that Woodstock Academy had a prep soccer program for the past couple of years.
But for all intents and purposes, what exists now is pretty much a reboot.
And for that reason, getting everything to mesh together is now the biggest work in progress for former South Kent head coach and now first-year Centaurs coach Owen Finberg.
Most of his players are now on campus.
The Centaurs have already played a couple of scrimmages.
“I know the quote that ‘You don’t have to like the guys that you play with to play well’ but it certainly does help’,” Finberg said when asked what the program has been concentrating on in the preseason. “We work really hard to build the bonds and relationships within our group. We do a lot of things off the field to get to know each other at a deeper level and show care and empathy for each other and understand the culture and experiences that everyone brings to our group. If we can get that right, it’s a real benefit.”
Especially with the number of student-athletes that he has to work with.
The Centaurs will now sport a program that has two teams.
The Prep 1 team will play in the newly-formed Prep Premiere League.
“I think the league will be a great experience for our guys. What we are really looking for is to raise the level of competition that we play and to help them get exposure to college coaches and professional scouts. I think the quality of teams and programs that (the league) has will certainly accomplish that,” Finberg said.
Woodstock Academy will be joined by High Mowing School from New Hampshire and two New York schools, Hoosac and Northwood, in the Eastern Region.
The Western Region will consist of Immaculate Heart Central in Western New York; Phelps School located near Philadelphia; Kiski School near Pittsburgh, Penn.; and Western Reserve Academy in Ohio.
Teams in the league will play each other once each with the top two teams in each region qualifying for the league semifinals on Nov. 17.
“It was a lot of work behind the scenes (to create the league) but it was really important for us as a program,” Finberg said. “It will benefit all the schools but it is a really exciting league with plenty of potential for growth.”
The Prep 1 team has some proven talent on it.
The attack will be led by seniors David Lee from South Korea and Hendrix Mota from Canada and junior Jude Essuman from Ghana.
“(Lee and Mota) were big players (at South Kent) and both created and scored a lot of goals last year so we have some firepower and have some other guys who are definitely going to bring a lot to the table. The hardest thing to do is to score goals so it takes some time to build that chemistry on the field,” Finberg said.
The middle will be anchored by Kelvin Da Costa from Mozambique who has plenty of international playing experience.
Ahir Dixon, the captain of the Jamaican U-17 national team, will be a key in the back along with Lucas De Pedro Sanchez from Spain, Harrison Vail from Manhattan, N.Y. and Max Maneke from Paris.
“That’s a really good group overall,” Finberg said.
The starting goalie spot is up for grabs still with Alvaro Medrano, Jr. from Guatemala the leading candidate early.
“We have to defend well first to win games. If you shut out other teams, you always have the opportunity to win. Defensive solidity and organization are always the key to performing at a high level,” Finberg said.
He will be counting on those who have played for him and are familiar with his coaching style to take the lead early but there are others already stepping up.
“It’s not necessarily going to be only those guys who are the leaders, the more leaders in the group, the better the group is going to perform. But to have guys who are familiar with me and the expectations that we have for our guys both on and off the field definitely helps make the transition to a new school easier and helps make the transition of the new players into the program easier as well,” Finberg said.
There will be plenty of transition to be had as players hail from 16 countries, 11 come from the United States with four from Connecticut. Spain (four athletes), Guatemala and Jamaica (three each) have the most representation otherwise.
The Centaurs Prep 2 team will be more of a developmental program.
“Typically, we have the younger guys in that group. It depends because we want to put the best guys out there on the first team but we want everyone to have opportunities,” Finberg said. “Guys will play on the second team to get more minutes, therefore more exposure to help them along in their college process, but it is more of a developmental group. They have the talent and ability, but maybe are just not quite ready to perform at the first team level.”
The Prep 2 team will play in the same league as last year’s prep program, the Global Education Sports Partners League which includes Putnam Science Academy, St. Thomas More from Oakdale and Hoosac School.
All the teams will play twice in the regular season and all four teams will participate in the league’s postseason tournament.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

Members of the Woodstock Academy prep soccer team gather following a preseason contest recently at the Bentley Athletic Complex.
Woodstock Academy’s two prep teams will have five goalies to work with including (from left to right) Alvaro Medrano, Zeeshan Desai. Sten Lehmann, Calvin Field and Daniel Covelli. Photos by Rich Glemawu/Woodstock Academy.

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