Ridgewood Boy’s Varsity Soccer team has been fighting hard all season with an overall record of 5-2- 3, and a conference division record of 3-2. These successes did not come without the hard work of the team, which consists of eight seniors, nine juniors, and three sophomores. Their first match was played against their rivals, Ramapo. Although the Maroons finished with three goals while the Raiders tallied up four, they definitely gave Ridgewood fans a preview of the talent they had to offer and what to expect in the season later on. A few days later, Ridgewood pulled out their first win against Paramus, scoring four goals and letting only one in, resulting in a tremendous win.
At the end of the week Ridgewood achieved another win over Indian Hills, scoring two goals while Indian Hills only scored one. On Super Soccer Saturday (September 19), the boys got ready to play Northern Highlands at the high school field at seven o’clock. Before the game started, the varsity players from both teams walked onto the field, hand-in-hand, with the young soccer players of the Ridgewood Youth Maroons. Seeing the eager and aspiring soccer players with the varsity boys is an annual ritual adored by fans.
The teams attracted crowds for the game under the stadium lights, which remained at a standstill in the first half of playing. Both Ridgewood and Highlands teams understood that the game was not going to be a blowout; they are both great competitors that had prepared to play an intense game. Although the majority of the game was spent in a stalemate, Highlands eventually scored one goal resulting in an upsetting loss for the Maroons, but this did not stop them. In the following weeks they recovered from the loss and continued to press forward. The next game was played against Hackensack back on the Maroons home field, resulting in a 2-1 win. The team took this as a satisfying redemption after the tough loss against Highlands. The next two games the Maroons played ended in ties against Old Tappan and Bergenfield. Then, on October 1, Ridgewood crushed Northern Valley Demarest at their home field, with an impressive score of 5-0.
The excitement seemed to continue into the next game against Emerson, marking the opening round in the Bergen County Tournament. The Maroons defeated the Cavaliers with a notable score of 2-0. Both goals were made midway through the second half by senior Jimmy Conboy. On the defensive side, senior Luke Eckels successfully shut down Emerson’s offense, who usually scores an average of four goals per game. The team moved on to the second round of the tournament facing Tenafly last Sunday. Both teams scored two goals, and the competition was forced into double overtime and penalty kicks. Sadly, the Maroons lost, which booted them out of the Bergen County Tournament. However, as the first time making cutoffs in two years, the team accomplished a lot by even participating in the highly anticipated tournament.
Jessi Schlict
staff writer