The Shaler Area Boys Soccer team wrapped up its season towards the end of October and finished with a record of 9-11. However, even though the team’s record was below .500, it does not accurately represent the talent and commitment that the boys displayed this season. 

Going into the season, the boys knew that they would be up against some of the best in the WPIAL, but the Titans held their own against those teams, win or lose.

Head coach Tyler Schultz told me that his favorite game of the season was actually a loss from the very beginning of the season. 

“Our first game of the regular season against North Allegheny,” he said.

The game was at home at Biles Field, but the Titans lost by one goal with the final score of 3-2. 

“It was early on, but this was a signal that we were here to battle this season,” Schultz said.

Pine Richland, another section rival who ended up as the class 4A WPIAL champions, beat the Titans twice, but only by a score of 2-1 each time.      

Though the boys may not have won as many games as they would’ve liked, the way that they battled every game showcased the character of the team. 

“In such a tough section, which made up the entire semi-final round of playoffs, it is a step in the right direction for Titan Soccer,” Schultz said. 

Schultz said that this senior class holds a special place in his heart. Since they have been playing together for so long, he admires the chemistry and bonds that they have built as a team. He views them as great people on and off the field and hopes that the underclassmen will look up to and see them as role models. 

Joshua Jashinski told me that his favorite memory from this season was after the last day of preseason, when the entire team had breakfast after morning practice, ate eggs, and played basketball together. He said that joining boys’ soccer is like “joining your own little community.”

The boys ended the season on a high note by winning their last two games: an 8-0 win against Hempfiled and then a 3-2 overtime win against Hampton.