The Oakdale Boys Varsity Soccer team is in the late-end of a competitive season. Playoffs begin in November and the team is very motivated to win States. They have a 6-3 record overall, and a 4-1 record in the conference.

“This year is different, we’re coming together as a team,” expressed Senior Captain Colin Ohm. The team is under new management by Coach Mitch Rubin, a physical education teacher here at Oakdale.

“Coach Rubin wants things done a certain way, but we got used to that. In the end, it brought us closer together as a team,” added Ohm. The new direction Rubin focuses on includes much more conditioning, a change from previous years.

Many of the boys had been playing together for a long time throughout local soccer programs. Everyone is familiar with each other, and that helps to bring them closer as a team.

The first game was a close match against Frederick. “It was a wake-up call for us,” Ohm explained. After that, the team went onto a five game win streak.

The rival teams remain as strong as they were in past seasons; Urbana, Middletown, and Tuscarora are tough schools to compete against within the county. The team practices with the same drills that they would for any game, but before games against tough opponents, there’s more focus from the players during practice and warm ups.

An important component of the varsity team is captains.The captains are selected to lead by a vote from the entire team to create a sense of fellowship within the team. This year’s captains are Colin Ohm, Tommy Nguyen, and Jared Boonshaft.

Being a captain is a big responsibility with certain jobs that must be completed. “As captains, we’re vocal on the field. We bring each other up, not down,” Nguyen explained.

An annual inevitable change with every sport is new players on the varsity team, and the loss of senior players. The loss of the seniors is tough, but the new players are always welcome and continue to surprise the team and coaches.

This season has been a strong one for the Bears. “The Walkersville game was fun,” Ohm reflects. “We scored in the last two minutes.” That goal brought the Bears to their 2-1 win.

As the boys team reaches the end of the season, it’s important to come out to games. Show your support for the Oakdale Boys Soccer team!