Groton boys soccer showcases tremendous improvement

Over the past few years, wins have been hard to come by for the Groton boys soccer team. The Red Hawks have not won more than three games in a season between 2019 and 2024. Halfway through this campaign, Groton has already surpassed that tally.

As of September 28, the Red Hawks have a 4-5-1 record, their most wins in a season since they tallied five wins in 2018. It’s been their most successful season under fourth-year head coach Mike Holl, who credited their improved campaign in part to a more confident mentality.

“A majority of this year, the right team has been showing up for me,” Holl said. “I think we can compete against some of these better schools. It’s a mindset I talked to the guys a lot about. When you go into a game knowing you can compete or knowing you should potentially win that game, we come in fired up and ready to take on anybody.”

Another factor in the Red Hawks’ solid start is that they’ve managed to stay healthy so far. Since they have a small roster of just 15 players, that aspect is even more imperative. Holl attributed that to a lightened workload during the preseason.

“I used to come in pretty tough and heavy on the conditioning, trying to get guys back into soccer shape after a nice, long summer off,” Holl said. “This year, I didn’t know how many guys I was going to have again… [It’s] not that we didn’t work hard, but we kind of cut back a little bit on the hard, hard conditioning and really went to work with the skill work that we need and just kept guys healthy.”

It’s taken a total team effort to get better results, especially since so many of their games have been tightly contested. In fact, the most common scoreline has been 3-2, making up three of their wins and two of their losses. Combine their offseason work of being more technically sound and their increased competitive nature—embodied by players like junior Abe Bishop—and it’s no wonder why the Red Hawks are in the midst of their best season in years.

“[Abe’s] got a motor that doesn’t stop,” Holl said. “He hates losing more than he likes to win. That general attitude is contagious, and I think a lot of other kids kind of have that feeling now. They see they can compete. Early on, we had those competitive games where they’re like, ‘This is a lot more fun when we’re in a one goal game versus a 10-goal beatdown.’”

Bishop has been a true jack of all trades for the Red Hawks, playing in virtually every position except in goal. That’s where senior Ethan Besler has locked things down. Besler is one of two returning IAC All-Stars, the other being Brennen Jackson. The sophomore has starred once again as a midfielder, pulling the strings and acting as a reliable link between defense and attack.

“He’s a great soccer player,” Holl said. “He plays a lot of soccer outside of high school, club soccer. He’s more of a finesse guy. He’s really good with the ball on his feet. His settles are amazing. He finds open teammates.”

In terms of other key returners, junior Evan Besler is Ethan’s twin brother and their defensive midfielder, while fellow junior Colin O’Brien has also impressed. The senior duo of Brock Bushnell and Brody Jackson rotate with each other at forward. Logan Dunn has caught Holl’s eye for his willingness to improve on areas of his game like his first touch.

In terms of the newcomers, Gavin Ray is back on the pitch after not playing for the past couple of years. Holl was his coach at the youth level, and the junior has picked up right where he left off as the anchor of the back line. Sophomore transfer Timmy Forehand is another impact rookie at forward and has showcased his clinical finishing in front of goal.

For the first time in quite a while, the Red Hawks are in a position where they can qualify for sectionals. With plenty of tough opponents still left on the schedule, they’re well aware that there’s still work to be done to reach that goal.

“We’re not going to go into it with just blind optimism,” Holl said. “We know where we need to work, and the kids have come to practice this year and started to give me better effort I think directly related to the outcomes of our game so far.”

Even if Groton falls short of making the postseason, this season could be the start of something special in the years to come.

“It’s really about the program, too,” Holl said. “I tell them, ‘You want more people in the stands? Win more games. You want other athletes in the school to consider playing soccer? You got to win more games. And I think some of the younger guys coming up understand that. Even though our numbers are a little low right now, I think we look pretty good moving forward, as well.”