As the winter sports season begins, boys varsity soccer lost a hard-fought match Thursday against Roseland Prep in a 2-1 loss. 

Led by coach Tom Ryan,  Branson fought against Roseland Prep in an attempt to find its second win of the season. Yet despite losing a number of crucial seniors from the year prior, the team has made adjustments and is lively and optimistic about its upcoming season. 

“We definitely lost some important seniors, but it’s going to take more than that to take us out,” Will Beere, a junior, said.

The game started decently for the Bulls. 

The match began with a lot of back and forth in the middle of the pitch and slow play between both teams. Both teams held possession for extended periods of time and were granted few opportunities for serious aggression or shots on net. 

As the team approached the end of the first half, the defense began to struggle to contain Roseland Prep’s offense, allowing for fast breaks that consequently led to lots of pressure on senior goalie Finn Dossey. Despite its best efforts, the team found itself down 2-0 at halftime.

During the second half, a foul on Anton Gridley inside the penalty area led to a penalty kick for the Bulls. Luke Daly took advantage of the opportunity and scored to make the match a one-goal game. 

Although both teams found themselves hovering near each other’s goals throughout the remainder of the match, neither could get a strong enough shot off and secure a goal, ending the game in a 2-1 loss for the Bulls. 

Despite the loss, the team seemed to have learned from the match and plans to only come back stronger.

“We definitely could’ve beaten them,” Wiley Kendall, a junior, said. “We just struggled so much defensively in the first half that, by the point we picked things up in the second, it was too late.”

Beere pointed out a similar reasoning for its shortcoming, saying the team “lost possession so much.” But the team has the whole season ahead. 

“I have faith in this team. We will keep working hard and getting better,” Kendall said. “It’s just a matter of time.”