The boys’ soccer team continued their season-long winning streak by beating the Washington Eagles 1–0 at Lowell on Jan. 23.
At two minutes in, the Cardinals quickly took the lead. Sophomore midfielder Taig Lonergan crossed the ball to junior forward Juan Tulio Martinez, who successfully scored the goal. As the game continued, Washington implemented an aggressive strategy, receiving an unusually high number of fouls and two yellow cards. Lowell withstood this onslaught with what head coach Juan Lopez described as impressive tenacity and hard work. “Washington was constantly pressuring us,” Lopez said. “But defensively we were disciplined and well organized, that’s what helped us keep the lead.”
Towards the end of the first half, senior midfielder and co-captain Kian Lonergan rolled his ankle and was quickly ushered off the field. Despite this injury, Lowell kept the Eagles’ offense at bay. During halftime, the Lowell Sports Medicine Club attended to Lonergan, who sat with an ice pack for the remainder of the match. The rest of the team spent their 10-minute break huddled on the field, where they planned their strategy for finishing the game. Lopez instructed the players not to rush and focus primarily on keeping possession of the ball.
When the match resumed, the Cardinals kept their opponent off the scoreboard with a series of skillful defensive plays. Senior defender Lucas Brenneman deflected a shot by lunging behind the goalie. The whole team worked to obstruct the Eagles’ aim, resulting in the Eagles missing several goals that would hit the crossbar. Meanwhile, sophomore forward Luis Soto and senior striker Razmig Makasdjian repeatedly sprinted with the ball towards Washington’s goal, only to be deemed offsides by the referee, who the players and onlookers in the stands passionately disagreed with. Despite these missed opportunities, the team clutched to its lead and ended the game with a solid 1–0 victory.
The Cardinals will be facing off against the Marshall Phoenixes at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 at Lowell.
