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Owls ready for hoot of a season
(by Erin Patricia Griffiths - September 10, 2008)
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Photos By Robert S. Pytel
Senior forward Pascal Tiessan had one attempt on the goal during the first half of the scrimmage against
Hawthorne on Monday, Sept. 8.
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With three scrimmages under their belts, the Park Ridge Owls boys’ varsity soccer team is eager to begin the season. During the scrimmage against
Hawthorne on Monday, Sept. 9, it was obvious that the players have been refining their skills, hoping to bring their a-game to the field for the 2008 season.
“Defensively I think we are improving. That is what we have been training for since day one,” said Coach Tim Serbe. “Last year, our defense, in terms of individual defense and team defense, we weren’t very good and that reflected in the number of goals we gave up. And this year, that was one of my goals as a coach, to sure us up defensively.”
Defensive improvements were obvious throughout the game, as players smoothly transitioned the ball amongst their lines, passing with ease and consistency. “In terms of team play, passing is one of the most important skills you can have,” said Serbe. “If you can pass, you are going to be somewhat successful. The kids worked all summer. Some kids worked since the last week of June, three to four days a week. They have the commitment. They have the desire to do better.”
With control of the ball, the team was able to keep
Hawthorne from scoring, but was unsuccessful in their attempts to score themselves. “As the season goes on, we will work on offensive scoring,” said Serbe. “We didn’t score many goals last year.”
But for Serbe, who is serving for his second year as head coach with the team, third year in the program in which he previously served as assistant coach, it is not just the wins he is looking for. He is focused on teaching values that can be learned on the field and in practice that can be used in all aspects of life. “In the end I want the kids to understand that they are in control, whatever they do in life,” he said.
The team has a goal in mind, with their sights set on reaching the state tournament this season. “We talked about team goals, and all of the players wrote down their team goals,” said Serbe. “And one of our goals is to make the state tournament. I told the kids, it’s a lofty goal. We haven’t done it in a long time. As the season moves on, I think they’ll understand how hard it is, but they will love the reward that they get,” he continued. “Here we have a focus, we are playing for our school, we are playing for our town. And there is a lot of pride within our town and we are excited about that.”
The team is young, but determined, with only five seniors on the roster and three starting freshmen, there is a lot of work ahead. But already the freshmen are on the field and ready to play, spending a considerable amount of time on the field during the scrimmage. Cory Laga, freshman forward, had four attempts on the goal, demonstrating his determination to win. “It is a very young team, but I am not just looking for this season. Whether it is this year or next year, hopefully we’ll get at least one more win each year,” said Serbe.
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Kevin Herget has traded his baseball glove for cleats this season as the senior plays as a midfielder for the Park Ridge Owls.
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Despite the difficulty of the league the team is in, because the skills of all the teams are even, the Owls are up for the challenge. They are focused on playing with a team mentality and working together to stack up the wins. “It’s a game in which the players control, I don’t control,” said Serbe. “You have to know each other, if you aren’t playing with each other, it doesn’t matter.”
But the Owls varsity soccer team is ready and will continue to work on their defensive and offensive skills with the start of the season on Friday, Sept. 12. “I am excited for the season, this is our third scrimmage. We are just waiting for Friday to come around,” said Serbe. “Emerson, in terms of rivalries, we want to beat them. They beat us twice last year, so we are excited to play them again.”
The team will have home field advantage in their game against Emerson on Friday, Sept. 12 at 4 p.m.
Erin Patricia Griffiths' e-mail address is GriffithsE@northjersey.com.
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