As the winter months roll in and football season ends, soccer takes its place as the marquee sport  that plays on Tom Storey Field. On Wednesday, Nov. 20, the boys’ soccer team had a game against their cross-town rival, the Lyman Greyhounds. Despite both teams sharing chances at scoring throughout the game, junior Abraham Paim scored the first goal with two minutes to spare, securing a 1-0 victory.

The goal came from a chaotic few moments in the game, as both teams scrambled in front of the Greyhound net to make a play on the ball. As the ball finally landed at the feet of Paim, he capitalized on the moment and put his team on the scoreboard.

“I really did not think much of the goal,” Paim said. “It was what I was prepared to do from practicing shooting in a normal basic training. But in this game, it takes a little bit of luck too. I was very lucky to have an opportunity that was given to me like that after Jacob Perez dribbled past the goalie and hit the post which set me up for the game winner.”

The game was marked by an uncharacteristically cold night for the team. As temperatures dropped, many teams, especially those unaccustomed to the cold, may have gotten stiff and not played as well. However, the team makes it a priority to be ready for any situation.

“In colder weather, my muscles become more stiff which takes me longer to warm up and get my body ready for either practice or a game,” senior Nathan Lach said. “When I’m on the field in a game, I don’t tend to think about the cold weather because I’m so into the game. It’s just one of the factors of playing soccer you have to push through.”

As the team marches on through their season, a big win like this can help keep the momentum going from day-to-day practices and drills, helping them further up the ranks. As bigger teams loom, such as the Lake Mary game, these wins at home can be crucial.

“I’m very happy with the team so far, we have a good record and had a big three games this past week where we showed we can finish games off strong also without conceding any goals,” junior and team captain Jacob Perez said. “It’ll help the team gain confidence for the tough games coming.”