Coached by Scott Huppe and assisted by Mallory Plungkhen, Dom Bandera, and Andrew Lentell, the Barstow Boys Soccer Team began their pre-season in late August and have been training diligently since then. This year’s seniors, Alexey Ayzin, Demir Capan, Luke Lopatofsky, Solomon Park, and Humza Khan have already become leaders of the new team.
The team has recently kicked off their season by hosting the annual Barstow Soccer Invitational, which included Lone Jack, La Monte, KC Lutheran, Platte County, Sacred Heart, Northland Christian Academy, and Maryville. The boys played their first game Tuesday night against KC Lutheran, winning after a brief postponement of the game due to weather. Unfortunately, the boys lost their second game against Platte County but were eligible to compete for third place. Their final game on Saturday against Sacred Heart kept even the most dedicated of Barstow fans on the edges of their seats; as Cayden Williams ‘20 scored an easy goal in the first half and an exhilarating half-field shot in the second half, securing Barstow’s position as third place.
All of this year’s seniors play key roles on the team, positively affecting their peers through their leadership abilities. Alexey Ayzin feels confident in the team’s ability to win state, commenting, “We have a very good back line, and two very good keepers,” adding that the team has, “a strong attacking force.” He describes the outcome of the Barstow Invitational tournament as, “Not exactly the result they were looking for,” but still feels optimistic about the rest of the season. Solomon Park describes the small group of seniors as a “cohesive unit,” that synergizes together both on and off the field. Alexey adds, “although we only have five seniors, Luke Lopatofsky has been a great leader from the back, and Demir Capan leads through his effort on the field.” Overall, the players, coaches, and fans look forward to an outstanding final season for these boys!
