Season Preview: SHS Boys' Soccer Team Gears Up For Regular Season

The tradition for the boys’ soccer team over the past decade has been to go deep into the State tournament and have a chance to play for a State title.

In 2010, the boys came up short, ending the regular season with a 7-5-7 record. The team also had an early exit in the first round of the State tournament, losing to Gloucester 1-0 in overtime.

Ryan Carino, one of the Stoneham's captain this season, reflected on how last season and the State tournament played out.

“It was a learning experience for us,” Ryan Carino said. “Now that we’ve all been there, we know the energy and the pace of the game is different, so we’ve adjusted to that.”

The team may have lost four players from last year’s squad, but it still is bringing a lot of experience back to the pitch for the 2011 season, including Johnny Cail, Brad Fagan, Anthony DeAngelo, Alex Brown, Connor Carrns, Seamus Landers, Pat Scanlon, Nico Spadorcia and Ryan Carino.

Meanwhile, Brenton Doyle and Tommy Marchant will be filling the two outside back positions and both have been exceptional all preseason, according to Ryan Carino.

With all the experience and talent coming back, Ryan Carino has high hopes for the upcoming season.

“As a team, we want to win the Middlesex League small,” Ryan Carino said. “Next, is to get a home tournament game, then go as far as possible. Our goal since we won the Commissioner’s Cup in fifth grade was to win a State championship and this year we have great potential to do that.”

To accomplish these goals, Ryan Carino stressed that it will take all 11 members on the field plus the reserves to get it done.

“We all need to play as one unit. We have to throw away our egos and do our jobs on the field. We have the defense to win games, but we need to score this season,” Ryan Carino said. “We have a lot of late-game ties last year and we need to play a full 80 minutes this year to ensure maximum points.”

The boys open up the regular season with a Sept. 7 tilt against in Winchester at 3:45 p.m. 

“This should be a battle. They won the league last year and have a new coach, so it should be interesting,” Ryan Carino said.

Spartans coach Jim Carino, entering his 24th season, hopes to capture his fourth state title in nine years. He is ready for the season to get underway.

“My first goal of the year is to beat Winchester in the first game then go game-by-game and not look ahead,” said the skipper. “We will do our best.”