The varsity soccer team seeks to defend its section title after winning six of nine opening games and placing 5th of eight teams in the Capital Christian Tournament.

“[The tournament] was a stepping stone, and we are still in the learning process,” said Coach Matt Vargo.

The team will face New Life Christian at home on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

The team is recovering from the loss of numerous key players, including one of last year’s top scorers, Chris Lopez, and three-time all-league player Edek Sher.

Only four of last year’s 11 starters remain on the team.

“We lost a lot of good players [but] we still have a good core together,” said senior captain Zach Eltorai.

Despite these difficulties, the team can look forward to the return of several key players including midfielder Eltorai, forward Michael Male, and defender Matt Akins.

The team eagerly anticipates success from its fresh batch of new players, including two strong freshmen, Morgan Bennett-Smith and Logan Winfield.

“[We have a] good crop of new freshmen,” said Vargo.

The team faces other challenges besides the loss of key players “[We] need to find out where our goals are going to come from,” said Vargo.

So far, major scorers have been Bennett-Smith, Male, and Eltorai, each of whom has seven goals. The team faces stiff competition from league rivals Buckingham Charter School and Faith Christian Academy.

“The section championships seem far away, but anything can happen,” said Akins.