- Lauren Clifton (Marketing)
Loyola Blakefield’s freshman soccer team went undefeated this fall with a 15 – 0 – 2 record. They defeated all freshman teams in the MIAA “A” Conference, along with two junior varsity “B” teams, St. Paul’s and Boy’s Latin, and a few schools from the D.C. area.
The season started off strong as the team went five straight games without a loss. This feat raised the team’s spirits and instilled the idea to potentially go through the whole season without a loss.
Even though Loyola was on the high road to success, the team still encountered a few struggles, but never failed to come out on top. They believed their most difficult game of the season was when they traveled to the Georgetown Preparatory School in the D.C. area.
“Both teams were undefeated, and we were unsure how the game would play out. It turned out to be extremely physical. Fortunately by taking the win, it allowed the boys to believe they could now go the whole season undefeated,” said Chris Caldwell (Head Coach).
Thinking about the possibility of going undefeated throughout the entire season did not seem realistic at the beginning, however the boys pulled through and showed everyone wrong.
“In the beginning I wasn’t sure if the boys were going to be able to pull it off, but by the middle of the season with still an undefeated record, they showed me they were able to stay level headed and treat each game individually,” said Caldwell.
Team camaraderie and trust played a large role in the team’s success. Each member of the freshman soccer team worked well together, and they have learned to support one another through both their ups and downs.
Caldwell pushes for his team to work together, while also trying to teach sportsmanlike values. Through his faith and dedication to his team, every athlete displays an unselfish mindset, which also played a key role in the Don’s victory.
The Loyola Blakefield freshman soccer team was the only team in the entire MIAA “A” Conference that went undefeated in the Fall 2012 season. Congratulations and job well done to the Loyola freshman soccer team!