This year, the boys’ soccer team had an incredible season, having a historic score that had never been achieved before on any Curtis soccer team. It ended on November 5th in a quarter-final game against Stuyvesant. It was a tense match, lasting 80 minutes, and ended 2-2, making the match go to penalties. Even though they went out with a loss, the Warriors accomplished a lot in their time playing. 

The Warriors played ten games, with a record of nine victories, and only one loss during the season. They finished with 27 goals, a difference of seven goals from second place. The only defeat they took was against Wagner High School, which is the team’s biggest rival. The teams were neck and neck, ending on a score of 0-1 due to a free-kick goal near the end of the game.  However, we later made up for this loss on October 21st, winning 2-0 full-time. This record-breaking season serves as a great send-off for the many senior players on the team.

This success did not come without challenges. Coach Turner and Captain Ian Rautenstraunch worked together to keep the players in line and focused. According to Mrs. Turner, one area the team could improve in is not underestimating an opposing team’s potential. “As a coach, it’s very hard to see my team lose to a team that we should’ve beaten,” Coach Turner explained. “Next year, I’m going to emphasize the mental part of the game as much as the physical part of the game.” 

But a team is also only as strong as its captain. It’s Ian Rautenstrauch’s second and final year as team captain. It’s difficult for students to strike a healthy balance between school and a demanding sport such as soccer, especially as a team captain. Ian feels that the pressure has helped him to be a better strategist and player. “As a captain, I’ve come to learn that everyone needs to be pushed in different ways. Some require a little bit of tough love and that is okay. Pushing everyone to be at their best consistently is one of my favorite things about being captain but it needs to just be balanced with constant support on and off the field.”

This year, the team had 31 players, with most of them being seniors. Having such a big team requires a great level of sportsmanship, dedication, and teamwork. These successes have proven that they have greatly improved as a team.