Young Tigers strive for improvement
FORT FAIRFIELD — Tiger boys varsity soccer coach John Ala, now in his 8th season, sees Class D as a wide open race in 2012. With no clear cut favorite, Ala’s young squad hopes to find themselves in the middle of the mix when playoff time rolls around.
Ten of Ala’s 15 team members are first- or second-year players, and six of them look to be in the starting lineup. “We are a young team,” stated Ala, “but I can see us getting better and better with every practice and with every game.” The Tigers lost three starters off last-year’s 2-10-2 squad, but many of the young players got a taste for the varsity game last year.
Providing senior leadership for the Tigers will be midfielders Colin Cassidy, Andrew Tuck and Austin Bernier and senior back Andrew Lewis. “They are working hard all the time and showing the younger players how to push themselves,” stated Ala.
Lewis, in particular, will be a key player in the Tiger’s success, according to Ala.
First-year junior Ryan Pelkey is athletic and will start at an outside back position, while the only other junior, Carter Shaw, will come off the bench and see quality time in a midfield role.
There are four sophomores on the team, all of whom start. Mikey McLellan is a speedy midfielder who should give the Tigers some scoring opportunities. Caleb Daigle, a center-back, has a great combination of quickness and athleticism that will make him a tough match-up for opposing squads. Hunter Beaulieu will start at an outside back position, while Johnny Theriault provides excellent quickness at a striker position.
Five freshmen complete the team, and while all of them will see quality field time, two are actually slated as starters.
Leading them will be frosh goaltender Dalton Cassidy. a hard worker who has proven to be fearless in the early going. “He will get better every game,” stated Ala. “He has good quickness and reads the angles well.”
Key in Cassidy’s development will be the instruction he is receiving from assistant coach John Cole. Cole was a four year college goaltender, and he has put in a lot of time to help in Cassidy improve.
Freshman Thomas Krause will be a starter at the center midfield position, while classmates Justin McKinney, Josh Ricker and Lance McKinney will play key roles as midfielders and on the front line.
Overall, Ala is excited about the prospects for this team.
“The guys are working together and buying into the team concept,” he said. “They seem to understand their roles and do what they need to do for team success.”
