Boys’ soccer took a 0-1 loss against Weymouth on Monday, Oct. 27 despite a strong defensive outing by the Tigers. 

The game began with an impressive display of skill from North’s and Weymouth’s back lines. Midway through the first half, Weymouth found their way through the Tigers’ back line to secure an early 1-0 lead after sophomore Ciaran Franks, North’s goalie, was forced to rush out of the net after a cross. 

The rest of the first half was relatively uneventful, with neither side scoring. Each team’s defense remained solid, keeping the ball away from the net and in the middle of the field. 

Senior David Duarte, a midfielder, said, “We didn’t let the goal impact our playing style, everyone stayed focused on doing their part and giving the team the best chance for success.”

As the second half opened up, the Tigers came out maintaining their strong defensive presence, holding their lines and keeping Weymouth from putting the game out of reach. 

Head coach Roy Dow attributed the second half’s strengths to a controlled play style defined by less turnovers for the team. “We settled in, and everyone across the back line was winning their duels in the air,” he said. “We were able to control the ball, giving us more confidence moving forward.”

On the back end of the second half, the Tigers pursued an extremely aggressive attack leading to numerous shots on the net. Senior Giga Bat-Erdene, a captain alongside senior Peter Reale, and junior Lorenzo Grimaldi came close to scoring off of spectacular crosses by junior Nikita Lutskiy, but all of their attempts fell short. 

Despite the loss, according to Bat-Erdene, the Tigers’ failure motivates them to continue persevering. “Our results don’t show it, but we’ve had an upward trajectory in our performances,” said Bat-Erdene. “We’ve gotten much better in corners and set pieces.”

Boys’ soccer, 5-9-5, tied 0-0 with Belmont on Wednesday, Oct. 29 and fell 1-2 to Springfield Central on Monday, Oct 3, completing its run in the MIAA state tournament.