Boys Soccer Evens Record With Defeat of Berkshire, Faces Orange Tomorrow

Senior+goalie+Griffin+Davis+defends+the+goal+in+the+season+opener+against+Independence.+Photo+by+Livia+Eppell.

Senior goalie Griffin Davis defends the goal in the season opener against Independence. Photo by Livia Eppell.

The Beachwood soccer team defeated Berkshire 5-0 on Tuesday, Sept. 13, bringing their record to 4-4.

“We have a strong team and play really well together on our grass,” said senior forward Shai Yulish, who scored three of the five points. “With everybody back, we can make it really far and maybe even to states this year.”

This year, the team is led by senior captains Matthew Stovsky,  Shai Yulish, Griffin Davis and Asaf Roth.

The boys’ preseason began this year at Kent State University, where they attended soccer camp. In addition to practices and games, they had the opportunity to meet many other players from teams around Ohio.

The camp helped the team build chemistry, both on and off the field, and also improved their skills.

The bison preseason ended with a few scrimmages against local teams such as Rocky River and Kenston. These scrimmages helped the coaches see how well the boys played  together and helped determine who would play what position.

The official soccer season opened with a match against the Independence Blue Devils.  Despite their hard work on the field, the bison ended up with a loss.  The final score was Independence 4, Beachwood 2.

Senior Shai Yulish had two goals during the game.

“We did not play our game that we know we are capable of.  Our desire to win was lacking,”  senior David Somogyi said.

The Bison had another game against Notre Dame Cathedral Latin High School on Thursday, Aug. 25.  Starters Asaf Roth and Shai Yulish were unable to play, and the game was also a loss.

On Saturday, Aug. 27th, the Bison played Cornerstone Christian Academy at home.  This was their first win, with the final score of 7-0.

We play very defensively and base our offense on mostly counter attacks.

— Senior goalie Griffin Davis

The boys soccer team has focused on building up a strong defense this season.

“We play very defensively and base our offense on mostly counter attacks,”  senior Griffin Davis said.

On Tuesday, Aug. 30, the team faced the Chagrin Falls Tigers at home.  The boys fell in a 5-1 loss, with a goal from Roth.

Senior David Somogyi was hit by a ball that was cleared by a Chagrin Falls defender.  He now has a concussion, but hopes to return soon.

The team also fell to Brush in a 3-2 loss on Saturday, Sept. 10.

“Overall, we had a good game but we had unlucky calls and didn’t finish all of our chances,”  Zamir said.

Although the soccer team has suffered a few losses, they are confident moving forward this season, as they are returning as one of the top eight high school soccer teams in the state from the 2015-2016 school year.

The team plays at Orange High School on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 5:00.