The ultimate goal for every team is to win, but this year, boys soccer aims to establish team chemistry and develop new skill sets to prepare them for the future.

“We have 25 players, 10 are freshmen, so we only have two seniors. No match has seen what we are doing to change the culture and build for the future,” said head coach Devin Pierce.

This season will be a testament to the future of soccer at Ocean Lakes as seniors Aiden Riley and Logan Flanagan provide leadership to the younger players. Because 13 seniors graduated last year, only two are left to impact the culture. They only practiced as a full team for about two to three weeks, where in previous years, they had months to prepare for the regular season.

“I have a great team with great players around me which makes the load a lot lighter,” said Aiden Riley.

The boys concluded their season with a 4-0 victory over Bayside to put them at 5-4 on the regular season.

“We started the season off 3-0 after three tough games, but we fought back as a team to become 5-4. The team works hard in practice and always has each others’ backs,” said sophomore Vincent Baker.

With playoffs up next, these end-of-season victories will help give the team a better seed heading into the postseason. Due to the way the season has played out, playoffs have not yet been finalized.

“As a returning player, it is necessary for me to step up for the team, as a leader… Our chemistry has grown a lot from the start of the season,” said sophomore Kaden Sawyer.