This year, the boys varsity soccer team is off to a great start! Coach McCaffery predicts that the team will have a very good season.  The team is a talented group of people who work very well together. They play against Will East, Will South, Hamburg, Amherst, Starpoint and West Seneca East. Coach thinks that Sweet Home should be fighting with Will East and Will South for a top spot in the league for ECIC’s. 

There are 17 people on the team this year, with captains Jasim Quasim, Jacob Wilson, and Zach Collins. McCaffery expects quite a few players to step up this year as dominant players in the league. Zach Collins has been a varsity player since he was a freshman and he had already been a leading defender in ECIC II, so the coach expects him to lead the team defensively as well as being recognized as a top defender throughout the league. 

Midfield is led by Jasim Qasim, Zach McGowan and Gianni Pezzino. Zach and Gianni are the two best midfielders in WNY and already proved themselves as dominant varsity players. Jasim Qasim is a four year varsity forward who has made a strong impact every year, so McCaffery is excited to see what his senior year will bring. He says the team also has a handful of midfielders who have had some outstanding games so far in their role, such as Rodney Garnett and Ivan Tymchyshyn. The forwards on the team are led by Haidar Hamed who is a junior, and sophomore Malik Watson. 

McCaffery says, “COVID gave us a little bit of a late start, but the guys are happy to be on the field, competing against other schools, as well as just having the team back together again.”  The team also had to adjust tryouts and preseason in order to have all sessions be socially distant.  They also have to use limited and cleaned equipment, and had to adjust to play a strenuous sport while wearing a mask. The team has been great about making these adjustments, as well as the other schools during games. 

Overall, the season has been going very well and the team is very excited to continue their season. They are pushing to win the league and possibly the Sectional Championship if the team can continue to grow together and work hard!

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