Edgemont Boys Varsity Soccer: The Highs and Lows

With two weeks until the playoffs, the Edgemont Boys Varsity Soccer team entered a league match against Hastings while missing three crucial players. Leading-goal-scorer Will Shah ‘23 went down with a knee injury in the previous game, Max Yang ‘23 sustained a hip injury, and Jake Kurumunda ‘22 suffered a shoulder injury. Against a team that they had previously beaten 4-1, the Panthers lost 3-2 at home, and their future looked grim.

EBVS entered the season with captains Sander Schuchat ‘22, Sam Jung ‘22, and Ben Kirsch ‘23 leading a squad composed of 10 seniors, 13 juniors, and three sophomores. They opened their season with a win against Croton, with a hat trick coming from Shah. They then traveled to Albertus Magnus and fell 2-0, losing starting center back Yang with a broken hip. At the time, it was thought that Yang would be out for the season.

Meanwhile, the squad marched on, beating Dobbs Ferry at home 3-2. Sophomore Leny Jung came up big with his first career varsity goal, as well as drawing a penalty that his brother, Sam, converted. The stellar junior center back Tapan Sidhwani ‘23 also scored.

Next, Edgemont hosted AA team Scarsdale. After a well-fought match, Scarsdale prevailed 1-0. Then, the boys traveled to Hastings and rebounded in a major way, with three goals coming from Shah, and a spectacular strike from midfield from Daniel Bench ‘23 in a 4-1 win.

When the homecoming matchup came against a strong Bronxville team, Edgemont was ready. The fans motivated the team as they tied Bronxville 0-0 after two overtime periods. There were many chances to win on both sides, and there were moments where it looked like it was going to go the Panthers’ way. Regardless, it was a very solid performance from the team, and the night was memorable.

With multiple players missing due to injury, the team faced Irvington the following morning, where they lost 8-3. Noah Plattus ‘23 scored a late goal for his first of the season and his varsity career.

Edgemont rebounded with a 3-2 win against class A school Walter Panas at Panas’ Senior Night. Midfield maestro Liyam “Ghoobz” Yaghoobzadeh ‘23 notched his first goal of the season. The team carried their momentum to a second game against Albertus Magnus, where they got their revenge in a 3-0 win with goals coming from Sam Jung, Leny Jung, and Shah.

The streak continued as senior Christian Adorno got his first start and scored an early goal, followed by a goal from Sidhwani, and two from Shah to carry the squad past Dobbs Ferry in a 4-2 win. For Senior Night, the boys took on Pawling. Senior Sam Jung opened the scoring, assisted by senior Ben Westler, to spark a 3-0 win.

Their four-game winning streak ended with a disappointing tie against Scarsdale B and a loss to Hastings. They again faced Bronxville, with Edgemont short-handed due to more injuries and absences. Even with a spectacular free-kick goal by captain Sam Jung and a solid performance by sophomore Alex Katthi, who was brought up from the Junior Varsity team, the Panthers lost 5-1. After losses to Irvington and Westlake (with the only goal coming from junior Hudson Plattus), the regular season came to a close with Edgemont’s record 7-7-2.

Going into the playoffs, Edgemont was the eighth seed out of 17 teams in class B. They were set to face nine-seed Albertus Magnus at home in the first round. Yang and Shah were both cleared to play, a massive boost for the team after missing Yang for almost the entire season. Even after recently beating Magnus 3-2, Edgemont was still not favored to win by Lohud.

The Panthers came ready to prove Lohud wrong. Sophomore Derek Sun played striker after previously replacing Yang in the backfield, and he showed his attacking talents. Starting the game with an assist to Shah and giving Edgemont a 1-0 lead, Sun continued with an assist to fellow sophomore Leny Jung. With a 2-1 score in the second half, Sun capped off an impressive day with a goal of his own to make it 3-1. Shah scored the final goal to send the boys into the quarterfinals against the one seed, Irvington.

As the quarter-final approached, senior Jake Kurumunda was set to make his return. Edgemont played competitively in the first half, only going down 1-0. In the second half, things went south, which led to a 4-1 loss. The one goal was scored by senior Michael Mirtchev, assisted by a corner kick from Kirsch.

The Panthers’ season was over, but they tried their best to stay positive after the game. They said goodbye to the seniors, including four-year starting goalkeeper and two-year captain Sander Schuchat. Hopes are high for next year, as the current juniors and sophomores are a talented group. If their progress and momentum continue, they will be a tough team to beat.