For a decade, as part of their off season winter conditioning, the boy’s soccer team has participated in an indoor soccer league. While the soccer season lasts from August to October, the indoor soccer team lasts from November to February, where the players can continue to play without having to skate on icy grounds and risk frostbite.
The team’s captains are juniors Quentin Pettinato, who has been captain since his sophomore year, and Nathan Tonini, who became a captain his junior year.
Pettinato explained that indoor soccer does have substantial differences from outdoor soccer. “Indoor soccer is more fast paced. It’s a higher scoring game, so there’s a lot more offense. The ball is [also] smaller and heavier.”
Tonini added that there is a “smaller field” than in outdoor soccer, and that “there are less people, and it can get a lot more physical sometimes.”
The season ended on February 4th, with a grand total of 54 goals being made by the Hempfield Area team collectively.
Each captain agreed that their highs of the season involved Hempfield Area’s notorious sporting enemy Greensburg Salem. “[The high] was beating Greensburg, and our goalie Donny shushing them after the game.” Tonini expanded on that high. “Beating both Greensburg teams back to back [was the high].”
They also had season lows, however. Pettinato spoke about some of the flaws of the season. “The lows of the season were definitely some of the games that I don’t think we played to our best potential. The games where we could have done better, but didn’t play as best as we could. Sometimes we couldn’t come back from that.”
Both captains agreed that the goal next year is to make the playoffs. Pettinato expanded on the steps of that ambition. “I hope to implement a better use of passing and attack next year. Our defense was good this year, but that could still use more work, too.”
Finally, Pettinato and Tonini gave eager and heartfelt closing remarks about the season and the team in general. In their enthusiasm, they talked over each other to give a collective comment. “It sounds kind of weird to say that we became more of a team, but we kind of did. We have some of the best team comradery. We’re all actually best friends; everyone loves each other so much. We’re like a family. I’m just so proud of them for all the effort they put in.”
Clearly, both indoor soccer captains love the game and their team.
