LOWELL — His team might be one of the biggest surprises in the Merrimack Valley Conference, but Lowell High boys soccer coach Bill Bettencourt is keeping the success in its proper perspective.
The Red Raiders have been playing inspired soccer all fall, winning nine straight games and compiling a 13-1 record. Not bad for a squad which finished 11-7-2 last year.
Fresh off a 4-0 shutout over Central Catholic on Thursday, a spot in the state tournament already in hand, and a handful of games left in its regular season docket, the sky is the limit.
“We’re playing well,” said Bettencourt, in his 17th season at the helm. “We’ve got a good group of kids. Some days we don’t play as well as we like to, but if we decide to play, we can play with anybody.”
The team was scheduled to visit Boston Latin on Saturday night looking for win No. 14.
The Red Raiders showcased their skills this past week in a 2-0 shutout over North Andover at Cawley Stadium.
Senior tri-captain Aidan Rouillard and sophomore striker Eduardo DeFreitas provided the offensive spark with goals. Meanwhile, senior tri-captains Vaal Thawnghmung and Ishmail Kamara anchored the defense corps, holding off a steady Scarlet Knight attack, keeping shots on sophomore goalie Ikaro DaSilva to a minimum.
“It was a good game and a rude awakening for (North Andover),” said Bettencourt. “They can play, that’s for sure.”
Rouillard, Thawnghmung and Kamara have led the way for the relatively young squad. Rouillard and Kamara have each scored seven goals, with Thawnghmung picking up four assists.
“All three of my captains have been outstanding,” said Bettencourt. “As they go the team goes. Ish is my center back, Vaal is my left back and Aiden is my midfielder. They all lead this team by example.”
The power trio front a quartet of returning sophomore midfielders including Bryan Monsalve, Paul Pace, Alexander Garcia and Ty Picanso. Pace complements the attack with six goals. Add in the lightning-quick reflexes of a newcomer like DeFreitas, who leads the team with 12 goals, and the solid work of DaSilva in net, and you have a team that’s just starting to hit its stride.
“We have a spread offense of players that can put the ball in the net,” said Bettencourt. “We don’t rely on just one player. We don’t have so-called superstars. We have players that want to play hard, work hard at practice, and work even harder in the games.”
The last time Bettencourt and the Red Raiders tasted this kind of success was in 2016 during a magical 19-3-1 ride to the D1 sectional semifinals, before bowing out to eventual state champs Lexington, 2-1.
Although it’s still unknown if this team can match that type of success, Bettencourt feels it possesses the same kind of winning attitude.
“It’s been very positive both in atmosphere and enthusiasm,” said Bettencourt. “They go in and they focus. Every drill, every play. It’s a pleasure coaching this team.”
The Red Raiders’ lone setback this season came in a 2-1 loss to fellow MVC frontrunner Billerica. The coach feels his squad learned a lot from the defeat.
“We learned from the number of missed opportunities that we had to score,” said Bettencourt. “We needed to put some plays together. We needed to work on certain techniques to our game that were almost there. I think the Billerica game made us realize that we just needed to work on those plays and on our formation.”
Both teams will renew acquaintance on Tuesday, in what should be a marquee match, but Bettencourt and company aren’t getting ahead of themselves.
“We’re focused on the next game right now,” said Bettencourt. “Overall, it’s been a team effort. We play as one unit. We want to focus on that. I’m just proud of these guys and I like the way we play. We’re playing good team soccer.”
Source: https://www.lowellsun.com/2023/10/15/hard-working-lowell-high-boys-soccer-team-soars-to-13-1-start/
.