Panthers Hungry For What They Lost in 2005
There is no denying the talent on the Potomac Falls boys' soccer team. Last season the team finished with a 21-2-1 record, winning the Dulles District Championship as well as the regional title. The boys lost in the state semi-finals to Blacksburg High School, who scored a goal in the last thirty seconds of the game, pushing them into overtime. The loss was a shock to the whole team, and, for returning members, a reason to push them harder to work to win the state title this year.
The team this season is one of the all-around best in the school's history. Since there are many returning members, most of the team knows what is expected of them and the effort to put forth in order to win. Standouts include senior captains John Santosuosso and Filipe Trein as defensive players, junior captain Ben Biber and sophomore Uche Onyador as forwards, senior Diego Salazaar, juniors Matt Swaney and Matt Clem, and sophomore Alex Borowski in mid-field, and junior captain Austin Shangraw as goalie.
It's the hours put outside of the regular season that allows the boys to be the best they can be. Most of the team works in the off-season by participating on club teams that play regular season schedules in the fall, which helps keep everyone in shape. During the winter, Potomac Falls holds indoor sessions which helps everyone maintain their shape and get them used to playing with each other once again, building team chemistry. During the season the team keeps their chemistry by holding team-bonding experiences, such as pasta parties the night before a game. These off-field friendships transfer onto the field because everyone trusts each other and knows that they can give each other constructive criticism, helping them communicate and ultimately win games.
Important parts of any soccer team, defensive players have one of the hardest jobs and get the least amount of attention. Many people hear about who scores the goals, but don't hear about the amazing save by the goalie or the pass the sweeper made to the forwards that helped them score a goal. The defense, seniors Trein and Santosuosso, and the juniors Chris Frank, Ray Blankenship, and Nick Bradshaw are always consistently solid on the team. They help the team make amazing plays and guard the goal with determination.
Santosuosso and Shangraw have been playmakers for Potomac Falls for the past three years. They not only hold down the team in defense, but also are team captains. As captains they have a responsibility to their teammates to direct them on the field and to set a good example for the rest to follow.
Sweeper Santosuosso started playing soccer at age five. He has been on the varsity team since his sophomore year, and has been a captain for the last two years. He loves soccer because it is a team sport where everyone relies on each other.
"I like the positioning of the defense and denying the other team to the goal," says Santosuosso.
He plays with an intensity that is infectious to the other players on the field. He knows when the team needs him to win the head balls, and also when to sit back and control the game. Santosuosso takes opportunities in stepping up to make the stop to clear the ball down the field.
"He's great at winning the 50-50 balls, and has the mentality that he is going to win everything. He has so much experience playing sweeper that he makes it look easy," says Shangraw.
Santosuosso's experience and skill has helped the new team members adjust to the varsity pace.
The goalie's job is to protect the goal from being shot on, but also to be the eyes of the team. Shangraw played soccer since he was in first grade, and went to many camps over the years, working with trainers learning a goalie style that works best for him. All the extra work paid off; he was the starting goalie as a freshman. Although he may seem quiet when one first meets him, Shangraw is one of the most vocal players on the field, directing each person to where they need to be.
"He works hard everyday. You know he wants to win," says Santosuosso.
Austin sets a good example for the other players and contributes to the morale of the team when they're down in a game. The Panthers have won countless games because of his leadership on the field.
With Santosuosso and Shangraw leading the pack of many talented players, the Panthers hope to clench district, region, and state titles. But they know they can't get over-confident.
"Our goals are like steps. We know we can't overlook a step, and we have to take each one at a time," says Shangraw
