Last year, with a new coach and the loss of 11 seniors, the Bromfield girls soccer team had a 9-10-1 record in their 2022 rebuilding season and got knocked out by Douglas High School in their “sweet sixteen” matchup at the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 5 state tournament. However, this year they are ready to return to the field, determined to be a driving force in the league in the new season.
Adamant that the team isn’t rebuilding but progressing beyond last year, Coach Hussein Issa repeated his mantra of “No excuses.” In an interview, he said, “We’re very promising. This time we’re gonna go for it. No excuses. It’s not a rebuilding year. It’s built on what we made last year, not rebuilt.”
Led by senior captains Analucia Lora and Kennedy Dylewicz, the players have been working hard all summer, individually and as a team, to strengthen and elevate their skills. Both the girls and boys soccer teams have trained with The Foundry Sports Performance, run by Hunter Granville. In the program, the players are focused on strengthening with weight lifting in the gym, agility work on the field, and injury prevention. Outside the gym, the girls team has been playing together in a summer league, hosting several captains’ practices, and going on team runs to keep up their stamina and drive before they begin their season.
For players like rising junior Tilly Fitzgibbons, who also plays on a club team, playing and training increases during the summer. “Personally, I have been going on runs every day, playing at my club practices, and also attending college ID clinics, as I hope to continue playing soccer at the collegiate level.”
Strong connections among teammates
Besides skill, what makes the team special for many players are their relationships with one another. Rising sophomore Sabine Moran said, “Half of the reason why I play sports is because of that connection that you get with your teammates, and I think that it’s one of the most special relationships you can have with people.” Not only is this important for team bonding, but the connections made serve as a reflection for soccer plays on the field, allowing for more fluidity and success with teammates.
Moran added: “I hope this season we’re able to hold many team bonding activities and continue many traditions that Bromfield girls varsity soccer held in the past, such as our annual season kick-off pond party.”
The team hopes to progress far into the Central Massachusetts and state tournaments this season. In school history, Bromfield has played far into the girls state tournament but hasn’t earned a state title. “This year I do believe that achieving this goal is very possible, with a majority of our players returning,” Dylewicz said.
With a roster of several club-trained players and only three seniors graduating in 2023, the team holds an advantage over other teams as they maintain a stable roster, similar to that of the previous year.
Noting that their defense line is strong, Dylewicz acknowledged the improvements the team needs to work on: “We need to learn how to play through the midfield instead of just kick and run plays. With this connectivity, I believe our chances will greatly increase.”
Although with a natural team chemistry and unselfish playing, passing and communicating on the field may come easily to the team, Lora notes that they need to learn how to maintain the ball against a defender, too: “Coach Hussein encourages everyone to use what he calls ‘1v1 mentality’ against defenders, and retraining everyone to use this tactic rather than always passing the ball was super challenging at times. It’s something we’ve gotten better at but definitely a skill we need to continue working on.”
While the team may be on the younger side, Fitzgibbons is confident in its ability to learn from one another to succeed on the field. “Those players that are returning to the team know what their jobs are in helping the team succeed, and the new players will quickly learn our team culture because of how much time we spend together in and off season,” she said.
Bromfield competes in Division D of the Midland-Wachusett League and in the Division 5 MIAA bracket. According to Fitzgibbons, Littleton and Nashoba Regional were both strong opponents last year. “Littleton is probably our hardest opponent, but last year we were able to put up a good fight and get a couple points on the board, but in the end we fell short and lost; Nashoba Regional is a very tough opponent as well.” With preseason and tryouts approaching in mid-August, the team is ready to go. Their first game is scheduled for Aug. 29 against Marlborough High School at the Whitcomb Middle School Turf Field.
“We’re definitely setting the bar high for everybody, ” Issa said.
