Boys’ Soccer lost several key players from their 2024 state semi-final run. The matches have been quite hectic, with severalcomebacks and lost leads. However, the matches have mostly ended up in the Bears’ favor, boasting a 7-1-2 record and the#1 ranking in Class AA.
Captain Oliver Brown ‘27, playing in the false 9 role, has been the focal point of the Bears’ attack, including a standout 4-goal performance in a 5-3 victory over Mahtomedi. His role involves dropping deeper into midfield, while still being aggressive during attack. The one loss so far comes from a 1-2 defeat against Breck on the road. The two draws were both 2-2 scorelines with a Bears comeback to avoid the loss.
Captain Max Vezmar ‘26 said “We have a lot of quality, and most of our drops in results have come from a lack of focus during the game; it’s very short periods where we’re not up to our standard.” Full-back Nick Gadjusek ‘26 added “One thing that’s been a trend is our ‘first half sleep,’ where we don’t push very hard without the motivation of us being down or scoring a goal.”
The team has been bolstered by the return of center-back Jake Iwan ‘27, defensive midfielder Dillon Kaiser ‘26, and Gadjusek, all of whom did not take part in the high school season last year. Vezmar was pleased despite the “huge shift in personnel from last year” and expressed “[the] new players have stepped up and played their role, which maintains the team’s quality.”
The team is capable of switching roles on the fly. Some examples include Vezmar occasionally slotting at right back, Brown rotating between attacking midfield and center forward, and Max Friedell ‘28 being versatile as a roaming playmaker at center midfield. Carlos Clapp ‘28 has stepped up into the right-winger position, taking advantage of his pace and versatile dribbling ability to cut into the box.
The Bears take on Southwest Christian at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 26 for Homecoming, followed by home games against Holy Family and Minnehaha respectively. The Bears end their season with an IMAC Conference rivalry matchup against SPA on Oct. 4.
