Boys soccer had an almost perfect season this year, ending with 19 wins, 1 tie, and 0 losses. This lossless record met and exceeded their performances in prior seasons and alludes to a successful postseason for the team.
For the first game of the season on Aug. 29, Greenwood played against West Shore Christian Academy. Senior Nick Stuck was well-practiced for the season and scored quickly in the first half. Senior Leroy Brofee commented that this goal gave them a lot of momentum”. West Shore then scored off of a counter; Making the game 1-1. Greenwood closed them down, though, when Senior Jeffery Bubb scored on a header from the corner and senior Lucas Beaver got a goal off a fast break in the second half, putting the final score at 3-1.
In their second game, Greenwood played Juniata. Brofee mentioned that this would likely be their, “toughest opponent this season.” It proved to be an even matchup. The game ended in a tie, 1-1. This was their only non-win the entire season (as of Oct. 26).
Following that game, they beat East Juniata on Sep. 5 with a score of 4-2. Greenwood soccer then played Saint Joes on Sept. 12. Beaver said that they “dominated, but struggled to find the net” in this game. The drought was broken when Stuck scored the first point. They continued to dominate through the rest of the game. The team said that they struggled with field conditions and dimensions, but they still came out with a 3-0 win.
Later that week on Sept. 14, they played Halifax. “They were defensively organized and hard to break down.” They eventually found a breakthrough in the first half with Senior Nathan Hixon scoring. The game went back and forth for the whole duration. They continued to push and finally got another breakthrough with Bubb scoring, ending the game 2-1. “The game was action-packed, a very nervy and gritty win for us,” said Beaver.
Greenwood faced Susquenita for the first time this year on Sep. 21. They beat the Blackhawks 5-0. Susquenita’s head coach, in reference to the shoutout. said, “They have a strong defense and a strong midfield and a smart coach.” The goals were shared among many Greenwood players, including Mason Preston, Nick Stuck, Ben Brinser, and Nathan Hixson.
Following that game, they won five consecutive, beating Millersburg, Halifax, and Line Mountain, outscoring them collectively 21-1.
Greenwood then played Susquenita in the PeCo on Oct. 7. They were hot coming into the game. Beaver scored off of an assist from Mason Preston to get the first goal of the game. Stuck scored off a penalty shot, making the game 2-0. Jeffery Bubb assisted Riley Hoffman’s goal, then Brofee scored, making it 5-0. Brofee then scored his second goal of the night, ending the game 6-0
Greenwood faced West Perry in the PeCo championship. “This game was not easy,” said Coach Anstine. Stuck scored off of a penalty shot, a consistent role for him this season. Stuck scored another goal, ending the game 2-1 and making Greenwood the Perry County champions.
Following those games, they won five straight games, one against Susquenita and two each against Juniata and East Juniata. Greenwood was not beaten through the entire regular season; the team has not been undefeated since the 2019 season. Greenwood’s postseason began on Oct. 25 with a game against the Delone Catholic Squires.
