Boys soccer puts up solid record despite a significantly younger team

Lydia Manning, Copy editor|October 9, 2019

Hunter Brennan (12) looks to throw the ball back into play.

Following a 2-0 loss to St. Mary’s (9-3-1), boys varsity soccer holds a record of 5-9. While this doesn’t seem ideal, it is a good record for a team returning after the loss of 13 seniors.

“The biggest difference from last year is the varsity experience on the team,” said head coach Brad Oestreich. “Only six returning players were on the varsity roster last year, and only three saw significant playing time.”

The boys started the year with a disappointing 4-0 loss to Francis Howell, but followed it up with a 6-0 win over Clayton. It is the second-highest scoring game for the boys this season, with the highest being a dominant 7-1 win over Fox on Sept. 24.

The team is coming off a solid 2018-2019 season, ending with a 12-14 record after winning the district championship. They were eliminated from state by Marquette in the first round. The last season was successful largely in part of the 13 seniors, including star player Jacob Bilyeu, who became the first player in OHS history to score 30 goals in a season.

At the halfway point through this season, Max Sorich (12) leads the team with four goals and eight points. He is followed by Adam Leeker (12), Cameron Brady (11), and Danny Nusinovic (10), each with six points.

“As a team we have improved in moving the ball,” said Oestreich. “This year we are focused on using everyone on the field and making it tough on the opponent.

The team is significantly younger this year, with two freshman and three sophomores on varsity. The last freshman to make varsity was Michael Bayer (11), who was also the only sophomore on varsity last year. Despite this, the team has high potential and high hopes for the rest of the season, with the expectations of the Class 4 District 2 title.

The boys look to improve their record as they play Windsor (4-10) on Oct. 10 and Vianney (6-9-1) on Oct. 12.

“If we can play our system and continue to work together as a team, I see us playing our best soccer come the end of the regular season,” said Oestreich. “I think the sky is the limit for this team.”