By DAN NUNN
NORTH READING — With eight varsity starters returning, the Hornets are primed to have another strong boys’ soccer season and qualify for the state tournament for the fifth consecutive season.
The team’s experience has clearly shown in practice and has impressed head Coach Mark Bisognano. “So far they have the look of an experienced team that has played together for the last couple seasons,” he said. “We put in a lot of hard work over the last week, but the team was prepared physically for the grind of double sessions. We put them through a rigorous week and they came through with flying colors.”
Bisognano went on to say, “In terms of how things look on the field, we’re ahead of where we usually are at this point. The combination play, the passing and the movement during open play has pretty much picked up where we left off last season. Defensively we’ve been very strong as well.”
70% of scorers return
The Hornets return 70 percent of their scoring players from last season. Seniors Jake Intorcio, Adam Sapp, Dan Coveney, Tom Lewis and junior Nicky Govostes will provide the bulk of the scoring.
On the defensive side seniors Zach Herman and Greg Landry will hold down the outside of the back line for the third straight season. Ryan McAneny and Peter Walsh return to anchor the middle. In goal, junior goalkeeper Billy Brandono will once again hold down the fort.
They will need their experience to navigate through the always tough Cape Ann League. In the Kinney large school division the Hornets will battle with a strong Pentucket team, a Hamilton-Wenham team that advanced to the Division 4 North final last year, and the defending Division 2 state champion, Masconomet.
“CAL soccer is always tough. Masco is certainly the tops in the league along with Georgetown and Hamilton-Wenham, who both made it to the Division 4 North sectional final in 2013,” Bisognano said, adding, “These matchups are a great test and we feel like if we play our best soccer we can give just about anyone a pretty good game.”
With so much talent returning from last season’s team that made it to the Division 3 North semifinal the Hornets will look to make another deep tournament run.
Home opener today
The boys’ soccer team hosts the Newburyport Clippers in the season opener Thursday, Sept. 4 at 4:30 p.m. at Arthur J. Kenney Field. They’ll hit the road for their next two games at Triton on Monday, Sept 8 at 3:45 p.m. and at Hamilton-Wenham on Friday, Sept. 12, also at 3:45 p.m.
