After having had to play local teams in the last year due to COVID, the boys Varsity Soccer Team moved up a conference this season and faced teams of a new caliber. Leading them into this new territory were coaches Richard Vasquez and Jeff Coviello and team captains PJ Giglio (Sr.), Matthias Hendrickson (Sr.), and Juan Pinaeda (Sr.).

From the start, the team faced setbacks: starting striker Matthias Hendrickson would be unavailable until late in the season due to a back surgery in August, starting goalkeeper Sean Tully (Sr.) was off the roster for the majority of the season after suffering a nose injury, and forward Jackson First (Sr.) was unable to play all season due to a knee surgery.

In the team’s first game against Pequannock, Sean Tully’s nose was broken in the first half while valiantly blocking a rebound shot after saving a penalty, forcing Ruari Callaghan (Jr.) to man the net until his recovery. The boys won their second game against Morristown Beard, but unfortunately lost their next four games against Whippany Park, Boonton, Dover, and Parsippany Hills – the Parsippany Hills loss meant they were knocked out of the County Tournament.

After this, they tied Pequannock and, in Sean Tully’s first game back, beat Morristown Beard. The next two games were also losses (to Mount Olive and Morristown), with the Morristown game marking the return of striker Matthias Hendrickson. At this point, many of the boys feared that they would not qualify for the state tournament.

After winning their next game against Boonton, coach Vasquez managed to resurrect the season by squeezing in a game against Caldwell, who they beat to clinch a spot in the state tournament. The next game, against Summit, was the senior night honoring seniors:  JJ Dresbold, John Armstrong, Jackson First, Juan Pinaeda, Nick Modi, Sean Tully, Connor Castellano, Matthias Hendrickson, PJ Giglio, and Mateo Guavera. Unfortunately, the game was a loss and Sean Tully was injured once again. In their next game against Dover, the Dodgers also lost, but still held out hope for the upcoming state tournament game against Hackettstown.

The game against Hackettstown was their last, resulting in a loss. As with so many of the games they played, that result does not fairly represent the quality of the varsity team or the intensity and cohesion of their game. While the boys had a losing season (4-10-1), their record does not reflect the amount of effort each player put into each game and practice. Throughout the season there were stellar performances from many players, Luke Aromando (Jr.),  Ryan Pennington (Jr.), and Eric Selquist (Jr.) all held down the backline spectacularly. Beckett Cheddar (Jr.), Santiago Rodriguez (Fr.), Juan Cadavid(Jr.), Matthias Hendrickson, PJ Giglio, and Juan Pinaeda all contributed to the goals scored and goal opportunities. Sean Tully and Ruari Callaghan manned the nets with remarkable success – Sean Tully had a save percentage of 85.1% (74/87), and Ruari Callaghan a save percentage of 86.6% (103/119). More notably, several players were awarded all-conference and all-county honors or honorable mentions, including Juan Cadavid, Eric Selquist, Ryan Pennington, Beckett Cheddar, and Santiago Rodriguez.

Of course, Head Coach Vasquez is incredibly proud of what his players were able to achieve both individually and as a team. When asked to comment on the results of this season, Coach Vasquez said:  “Throughout this year our spirit, drive, and determination remained unbroken and I’m proud of the way in which my players kept going despite the obstacles.”  While disappointed in the result, he takes pride in the work put in and the way the players carried themselves. Vasquez also shared his thoughts on the future of the program: “I am hopeful that the overwhelming display of commitment to the program translates into what we all want to achieve.  Overall, I am very hopeful for the future of dodger soccer.”