Alex Jaffe, Nederland. The 2020-2021 Nederland Panthers boys’ soccer team played hard the entire season. They started to practice on March 8, 2021, and had their first game on the 19th, against Rocky Mt. Lutheran, and they lost 10-0. On the 30th they played against Union Colony, lost 10-0, and again on April 1st against Loveland Classical, lost 9-2. On the 6th against Champion Academy, and they lost 11-1. The team played again on the 29th against Windsor Charter Academy and they lost 6-1. Finally, on the 10th against Heritage Christian and lost 9-1. 

The team worked very hard and played harder. Head coach Alberto Gonzales says, “Soccer season this year was different for many reasons: Short season (we played just five games due to the weather conditions) and different due to the Covid pandemic (we played in spring when normally we play in fall) with a lot of months at home without physical activity and a short preseason. But the most difficult was playing with masks. Soccer is a game where you need to use all the oxygen you can (especially in altitude) and playing with masks sometimes was a difficulty for the players and not only for our players. 

But on the other side I need to recognize the great job and effort the Nederland team did, not only this season. During the last three years I have been here in Nederland I need to recognize the excellent job they are doing. Every season the improvement is better and better. For the coming season we will continue working hard and improving in every way and in every game. Also, I want to recognize all the help and support we received from all the parents during the games, which is important for the kids, and all the help and support we have in the school.”

The team this year included Brayden Smith, Kevin Ackerman, Sushan Dahal, Ricky Fortunato, Cutter Larson, Gavin Dillon, Charlie Rawlins, Hayden Hardt-Zeman, Oscar Nunemacher, Zach Weiner, Beshal Malla, Max Godsil, Mason Lupe.  

Cutter Larsen says, “The start of the season was pretty rough but after every practice, we kept improving a lot, and in the games, we started to play a lot better. Overall the season was pretty great and I enjoyed it a lot. It was a lot of fun.”

Covid made this an extremely challenging season on many levels. This was a young team with the majority of the players being freshman and sophomores. Coach Gonzales and these 13 players showed up and gave it their all. 

Great work Panthers!

(Originally published in the June 3, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)