Apponequet boys varsity soccer team finding its footing following the eighth season game

LAKEVILLE — After landing a tie this week against a tough opponent, the Apponequet Regional High School Boys Varsity soccer team is gaining “positive momentum,” Head Coach Tom Couet said.

The Lakers tied 1 -1 against Somerset Berkley Regional High School — who won the league last year — this week, marking the eighth game of the season. Couet said the program is still coming back from losing players during the Covid pandemic, but after the Monday game — this year’s squad continues to bring together both its fundamentals and team synergy.

Nemasket Week Today editor Sam Tucker spoke with Couet on what the team will focus on this season, and what keys to success they hope to use to unlock a successful season.

Q: So far, what have been some triumphs and challenges this season?

Couet: I think in general, ever since the Covid pandemic our program has really been trying to build things back. We've gotten our numbers up in terms of how many kids are in the program — which is a beautiful thing. We've been able to run a varsity and junior varsity team. But, the difficult part is, when you're down like that it's tough to really recover. 

It's hard to approach failure and try to look at it in a positive way, and I think that's been the challenge. I think what we're feeding off this year is the people that doubt us. We have to be the ones to prove them wrong. 

The two wins that we've had are quality wins. We beat Old Rochester Regional School District for the first time in five years, in a 1 - 0 game — that's a huge result for us. On top of that we played Dartmouth to a tie after being down 1 - 0 at halftime. We scored two goals and they got one back, resulting in a 2 - 2 match, but they're ranked fourth in the state right now.

Q: How do you see the team change as the season continues and athletes get more game-day experiences under their belts?

Couet: As the season goes on, you certainly have to put in more focus and more attention to preparing and training and making sure we gameplan for our opponents. Due to sicknesses, injuries and absences it always gives players an opportunity to fill a role that's needed on the team.

Sometimes it's a more expanded role that may even lead to more minutes on the field. Sometimes we need roles where it's a little bit more of a minimum role in the eyes of a player, but all these roles as a coach are essential for team success. 

This year, we've actually been pretty fortunate in terms of injuries. They're popping up a little bit now, but I think we're in a pretty good place with that. In general, I think the goal is always to try to put forth a consistent effort in every game. That effort provides us with a good, competitive product that gives us chances to win. 

Q: How will the team succeed this season?

Couet: It comes down to our consistency and how we show up each game. When we have played to our potential, our strengths and up to the level of our opponents — we have seen success. It's kind of where we drop that focus and we lack that consistency; that's where we can have some disappointing outcomes. 

We have to understand that if we can just get consistent with our effort in the competition we put on the field every single game — more good things will happen than not.

Q: Any particular changes to the practice regiment this season, or new strategies to improve the team’s winning formula?

Couet: I'm analytically driven at times, but only to make informed decisions. It's not everything, but we've certainly incorporated it more into our program by using video cameras and even AI technology that has allowed us to look at our game statistics.

Beyond that, it always comes down to fundamentals with me. No matter the type of team I'm coaching, no matter the level of the team, no matter the sport — we always have to continue to refine and keep our fundamentals crisp. That includes our first touch on the ball, our passing, our movement into dangerous spaces in our attack, trying to possess the ball and passing to feet accurately. It's those elements that we have to always work on in every single practice.

Q: How does the team view success, and what is the mentality of players when they are on the field?

Couet: Well, I think the team embraces the fact that we need to keep working on things, and they see the benefit of it. I think believing in what we're doing, in the product that we have, and the mentality that we put forth — I think that also helps with team comradery and togetherness.

At the end of the day, it always comes back to: can these kids see success on the field? What is success, and how do we define it? For me, it's that consistent, competitive product that we can put on the field. The product we can rely on every game; that's what we were continuing to work towards, and hopefully we can get closer to that product.