Varsity soccer travelled to face rival Lafayette Nov. 4 for the semifinal round of Districts. While the Mustangs’ 9-10-1 season record paled in comparison against the Lancers’ 17-6, MHS had won five of their last seven games coming into the match.

Junior Jake Embleton, right wing, charges up the sideline, attempting to make a comeback after a Lancer goal at three minutes, seven seconds into the first half.

Senior Carson Campbell, goalie, leaps into the air to catch a high center shot. Campbell played without substitution for 80 minutes.

Sophomore Almedin Muratovic, midfielder, slams into the back of senior Lucas Nickerson, forward, following another goal by Lafayette, making the score 2-0.

Senior Sriram Zassenhous, defender, weaves through center field to push the ball upfield. Zassenhous was knocked over several times over the course of the game after making aggressive plays.

Fans cheer after MHS scores in the second half. After several missed opportunities by the Mustangs, senior Sam Weis, defender, shot the ball into the goal off of a corner kick, making the score 2-1.

Senior Ian Lynch, forward, and junior James Reynolds, defender, entangle as they compete for possession. The Mustangs were down by one goal late in the second half, but Lynch said he tried to remain positive and help his team no matter what happened in the game. “I always look ahead and just keep fighting even if the score is down,” Lynch said.

Chris Kenny, varsity boys soccer head coach, addresses his team after a 2-1 loss. Kenny encouraged the underclassmen to learn from this season, while also thanking the seniors for their contributions to the team. “We didn’t finish the chances we had,” Kenny said. “But I was proud of them, the way they played in the second half.”

Seniors Matt Pak, defender, and Sam Weis, defender, reflect on the game while their coaches shared closing thoughts. Weis is one of three team captains and has played for MHS since his freshman year. “While it was a lot of fun leading the team this year with such great teammates, it came with a lot of responsibility to help set a good example to the teammates on what is expected of them while they are on varsity,” Weis said.