Park Boys Coming On Strong

By Colin A.J. Murphy

Set to enter a difficult stretch of schedule, the Severna Park boys soccer team appears to be rounding into form. Since a 3-0 loss to Spalding on September 10, the Falcons have gone 5-0-1 and flourished offensively, outscoring opponents Arundel, Old Mill, Chesapeake, Northeast, North County, and St. Mary’s by a combined 16-3 count. The team now stands at 5-1-1 and has been able to complement their potent attack by sorting out early-season question marks on defense.

“In any high school season it’s difficult figuring out who’s going to do what because you’ve got new personalities,” said Head Coach Roy Dunshee following Severna Park’s 4-0 home victory over Northeast on September 22. “In that first game against Spalding we didn’t know who was going to be playing which positions. But we’ve gotten organized, and our defense looks very strong right now.” Dunshee’s confidence in his team’s development on defense and consistent ability to create and capitalize on scoring chances can only be bolstered by the emergence of a solid second unit that has gotten valuable experience in the Falcons’ recent spate of wins. “We’ve discovered that we’re deeper than we thought, and hopefully that will allow us to keep guys fresh and make a deep run into the state tournament,” he said.

Senior midfielder Connor Del Prete agreed following the victory over Northeast. “The backups have really earned their time, and we’ve been able to get them in,” said Del Prete, who scored the team’s opening goal against the Eagles. “Things are shaping up well…Our defense is strong, and we just have to keep working on controlling the ball and keeping that mentality.”

As they have done with success this fall, the Falcons were able to win the possession battle against Chesapeake and Northeast the week of September 19. Against Chesapeake on September 20, the Falcons consistently pressured the Cougar defense, earning seven corner kicks that ultimately yielded goals by captains Cole Strong and Billy Zito in the 2-0 victory. Against Northeast on September 22, Severna Park looked wholly at ease moving the ball between the backfield and midfield, patiently creating space and finding the right opportunities to attack. Goals by Del Prete, Paul Balleza, Zito, and Colin Hackett were the result, as the Eagles were simply not able to keep pace with Severna Park’s fluidity on offense.

All that amounts to a growing confidence as the Falcons work towards their goal of a state championship. “We get along really well,” said Balleza following the victory over Northeast. “We push each other and motivate each other to work hard and do our best, and we’re really starting to come together and play some good soccer.”

Click here to see a full photo gallery of this game.

Click the "Bookmark" link at the bottom right to share this article on Facebook