November 22, 2022
Coming off a successful season where they topped the Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) Bay Division with a 6-1-3 record, boys’ varsity soccer will look to return to form this season.
Even with graduating players leaving the squad, including captain center back Ian Jackson, this season’s team will still have plenty of experience. A majority of the core players last season were junior and sophomore players. Burlingame’s defense gave up just seven goals last season, the lowest amount in the league. This year’s defense will have big expectations to live up to.
Like last season, head coach Anthony Dimech will emphasize possession — keeping the ball while playing up tempo. Thanks to the experience of his players, Dimech is confident that this squad can build off and potentially improve upon last year’s success. Ideally, the team could even push beyond the first round of the Central Coast Section open division, something the team has failed to do in the last two seasons.
They will also benefit from fresh talent, with players such as junior Kevin Ascarza, who impressed at the junior varsity level last season.
The absence of Jackson’s leadership will hurt, but Dimech remains optimistic that someone will step up in his place.
Senior midfielder Alex Kelly could be just the candidate to do so, as a player who brought a lot of energy and covered a lot of ground all over the field last season. Kelly will play a pivotal role in moving the ball up the pitch and protecting the center backs in defense.
The team has established a winning culture the last few years, and expects to make another run for the top spot in the PAL Bay.
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Theo Au-Yeung is a senior at Burlingame and this is his first year in Journalism. Theo also plays baseball for Burlingame, and in his free time, he enjoys...
