The Varsity Boys Soccer team knew this past season was going to be different from the rest following their first few practices. It was one of the best soccer teams Friends Select had ever assembled on paper. The team had very high expectations for themselves and immediately clicked heading into their first match. “It was fun to get acquainted with teammates from last year and all the new people on the squad,” said team captain Marshall Searles ‘23.

In their first match, the Falcons won in a commanding fashion against Philadelphia Academy Charter High School 6-0. The team went on to win two more non-league matches before facing tougher competition in the Friends League. In their first league match, Friends Select shut out Abington Friends 3-0. “That was probably the peak excitement of our season as we were still undefeated,” Marshall explained.

The Falcons went on to lose two league games to George School and Moorestown Friends, putting a quick end to their undefeated run. Gavin Ewing ‘25 stated, “We were still playing good soccer, the games just weren’t going our way.” In their next match, they beat non-league opponent Girard College 4-0. This was a crucial win heading into their next league game against Friends Central, a team they had lost to in years previous.

Three days later, in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, the Falcons took down the Friends Central Phoenix on their home turf 3-1. Coach Barry Lynch was ecstatic about the huge win. “To not only win versus Friends Central, but to outplay them and win by two goals was really impressive,” he explained. “This win not only proved what we already knew, that we can be more competitive in this league, but it also made other teams in the league pay closer attention to us.”

Following a huge win against Friends Central, FSS would only win one out of their next six games, the one win being against non-league opponent Lincoln Leadership Academy. “Heads started to go down and form dropped,” Gavin said. 

Over the course of the season, although faced with adversity, the team continued to grow together. “This team grew a lot this season. We have a lot of young players and they experienced games and moments in games that not only benefited them for the rest of the season, but will also make them stronger next season,” Coach Barry exclaimed.

The team ended the season just one win away from the Friends League playoffs. They would, however, receive the chance to play in the Commonwealth Cup. In the semi-finals, Friends Select beat Girard College for the second time this season, shutting them out 5-0. The Falcons would face Perkiomen School in the finals to win the cup. The game ended in a heartbreaking manner, with Friends Select losing on a penalty-kick shootout. Marshall explained, “We definitely should have won as we played better and had more chances. It was our game to lose and we did.” Friends Select would end the season with a total of eight wins and seven losses, that final loss costing them a cup title. 

When asking what he would change about the season, Coach Barry said, “I would change the outcome of our final for our seniors. We would love to have won it for them. However, I am very much a believer of learning from mistakes and missed opportunities. We would have all loved to have come home with the cup at the end of the season and there were certainly coaching mistakes that I feel I made in that game. The experiences this team and I had throughout the season will only make us stronger next season. I am really looking forward to next year and seeing what this team can do with our now raised expectations.” Friends Select’s soccer program seems to be only heading upwards, and hopefully next season is a continuation of what the team started this year.