Wakefield High School’s varsity men’s soccer team is no stranger to success. With a current record of 14-1 overall and 5-0 in the conference, it’s safe to say that this tradition of success has endured this season. The team now has its sights set on its final few in-conference games of the regular season, which will prove pivotal as the boys push into the conference and state playoffs. This is all with the goal of finally winning a game in the state playoffs.

None of this long-standing reign is possible without the players who take the field. One such player who has been instrumental to the team’s performance is Captain Brooks Vice, a senior on the team. Even though this is his final year, Vice is still eager to help the team go above and beyond for one last time.

“I have a real potential to make an impact on the people on my team,” Vice said. “Overall I think we just have a really good team, so I’m glad I [can help] everyone have fun.”

At the center of the team’s stellar play stands Tony Calabria, the head coach. Despite working with a number of great teams in his 11 years at the helm, his praises of this year’s team in particular have reached new levels, especially in regards to how tight-knit they are.

“[They’re] one of the best teams I’ve ever coached, without a doubt,” Calabria said. “[They have] the best camaraderie, and they are all so supportive of each other.”

Naturally, after having such a standout season in last school year, going 16-6-1, it’s easy to assume last year’s group was satisfied with the result. Yet, this couldn’t be further from the truth; the team suffered a heartbreaking loss in their first game of the state playoffs.

Eddie Vazquez-Aldama, a current senior who experienced the pain associated with this loss, knows full well what the team has to work for. Despite being on track to eclipse –and even beat– last year’s regular season success, he knows what the collective end goal for the entire team is.

“We as a team deserved so much more last year, but it just wasn’t meant to be,” Vazquez-Aldama said. “But, we use that as fuel because we have that chip on our shoulder going into every single game. We’ve got so much more to prove.”

Even for those who still have two or three more seasons on the team, the mutual drive to win is still present. Gabe Riehle, a sophomore who has been on varsity since his freshman year, knows how important it will be to not only go further this year, but especially as he grows into a leadership role.

“I want to make sure that everyone, whether on JV or varsity, sees how we’ve played this season and sees all the passion we have,” Riehle said. “I hope when they see that [passion], they think ‘I want to be like that; I want to play like that.’”

No matter the final outcome of this season, Calabria and his players always know that through every challenge, there is a new lesson. To this team, every day is an opportunity to improve.

“We’re all one team, and everybody has their role,” Calabria said. “I think that’s one of the major reasons for our success.”