GRAFTON – The Shrewsbury boys varsity soccer team beat Grafton 5-1 in the third pre-season scrimmage on the Gators home turf Sept.1.
The Colonials and Gators previously played each other frequently during regular season games, but have not faced off in two years, according to Shrewsbury Head Coach Matt Wheeler.
“Every time we play them, they are right next door, so it’s always going to be a good battle,” Wheeler said.
Grafton Boys Head Coach David Mitchell said scrimmaging Shrewsbury was a “big test.”
“We are super excited and we want to learn a lot from it. Shrewsbury is always a strong team,” he said.
Wheeler said Shrewsbury is bringing back a lot of talented and young talented players.
“So our goal is to compete for a league title and make a good, deep run in the tournament.”
He identified key players to look out for this season, including senior captains Rory O’Neill, Jack Dowling and Zachary Robillard and players Michael Mitsis Harris Yang, Kamden Carll, Ben Barrett and Cam Smith.
The Colonials prepared for games this fall by playing in a summer soccer league and participating in a weight training program.
There are no seniors playing for the Grafton Gators this season, but the younger players are “feisty and scrappy,” according to Mitchell.
Their starting players include two freshmen and some sophomores and juniors who are led by junior captain Jeremy Kim.
“We’re a really young team, but we have a lot of talent,” he said. “I am really looking forward to how we come out [of this season].”
The next game for the Colonials will be against Sutton and the next game for the Gators will be versus Shepherd Hill Regional. Both games will take place Sept. 6.
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