Both varsity soccer teams opened the season Wednesday with tough losses.

The boys were defeated 1:3 by Gann, while the girls, in a rematch of last year’s league championship game, suffered a frustrating 2:4 defeat against Montrose. Grant Iuliano ’18 scored the boys’ only goal on a header, while Shani Breiman ’18 and Sofia Coronado ’18 scored one goal each for the girls.

Both teams struggled early on. A ball made its way through the Gator defense and hit Samantha Vingers ’17 in the chest, leading to a self-inflected goal. When keeper Matthew Hastings ’18 tipped a corner kick to the feet of the opposing team’s striker, the boys also gave up a tough goal.

At halftime, the girls found themselves down 1:2. In the second half, though, Montrose pulled away, controlling possession with fast and aggressive play.

“We came out with a good attitude,” says Co-Captain Sarah Smith ’17. “Our team dynamic will improve by playing more games and working together more.”

Despite ceding momentum, the boys remained competitive throughout much of the game, with the score tied 1:1 on a large playing field. But in the final 10 minutes, fatigue kicked in and Gann capitalized by scoring two quick goals.

“We played until the last 10 minutes,” says midfielder Safi Aziz ’17. “At that point, we just got tired.”

“We have got to start stronger next game, and we’ve got to have better conditioning,” says Captain Alex Dolan ’17, adding that that he is confident the team’s strong spirit will translate to wins.

As for the girls, Co-Captain Enna Spivak ’17 offered a blunt assessment, saying, “I don’t think it went as well as we would have liked. But we learned from this challenge. And we hope to beat them next time.”

Editors’ note: Alexander Dolan ’17 also serves as Sports Editor for the Gator. Samantha Vingers ‘17 is also a staff writer.