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08/17/2020 12:00 AMThe Old Saybrook boys’ soccer team had a fantastic 2019 season. The Rams claimed their second-consecutive state title in an exciting 3-1 double-overtime win over Holy Cross in the Class S State Tournament final. Old Saybrook posted an overall record of 17-2-5, which also included a share of the Shoreline Conference crown via a 2-2 tie with Morgan in the final. This year the Rams will have plenty of adjustments to make while they try to recapture the magic of that 2019 campaign.
One of the biggest changes will be in the form of new Head Coach Steve Waters, but his transition should be smooth after his having served as varsity assistant and JV head coach for Old Saybrook last year. Coach Waters also comes with 37 years of experience as a head coach under his belt. The change that will be most apparent on the pitch is the graduation of 16 seniors from the Rams’ roster. Coach Waters knows that his team will have its work cut out for it, but Old Saybrook’s outstanding 2019 season wasn’t a foregone conclusion after a slow start.
“We graduated a great core. We obviously had a successful year last year, but we started off a little bit slow. We weren’t quite fit when we came into camp. We toned them up after some nagging injuries,” Water said. “The core of the backfield except for our goalie is all graduated. There were also some seniors who didn’t start though, too.”
With so many on-field changes, it could be difficult to get all the new pieces to fit, but Coach Waters is ready to get to work. This situation is tailor-made for Coach Waters.
“From a coaching aspect, I love to build a team from scratch. Every year you coach, it is a new team. You are building brand new, day one,” Waters said. “Last year, I was technically the JV coach, but I did a lot of varsity and freshmen games. I had a great synergy with that freshmen group. I was there to develop players. I hope the freshmen and the JVs bring that technical skillset back this year. There could be a handful of sophomores that vie for a varsity position.”
Coach Waters will still have plenty of talent available on the Rams. One of the top returning athletes this season will be the last line of defense for Old Saybrook in goalie Matt Rothman. Coach Waters knows he has a special player in the senior keeper.
“It’s hard to get a high school goalkeeper with his skillset and physicals. With a whole new backfield, we’re going to need him to be even better this year,” said Waters. “He’s extremely athletic and powerful for his size. His speed is impressive.”
Coach Waters will also be leaning on senior Carter Gibson. Waters knows that Gibson can help fill in the gaps wherever they may appear because of his versatility.
“He’s a high-quality, effective player, very field smart. He can play multiple positions: midfield line, defensive midfielder, and the backfield,” Waters said. “He can play in the middle or on the flank. He played multiple positions, and it was like an automatic adjustment. He will be able to help pick up the slack in the back.”
Fellow senior Trey Martin has a similar makeup to Gibson. Coach Waters may need both of them to play multiple spots as some of the younger players learn to find their groove.
“We slotted Trey in a lot of games from mid-season to the end of the season,” Waters said. “He can play a couple of positions, too. If he comes in fit and poised to play, he can have an impact.”
Senior Gannon Efinger should also prove to be an effective presence for the Rams. Efinger has seen the high-stakes competition of a state final already, and he scored a huge goal in that contest.
“Gannon will be an impact player. He likes the middle of the field, and he has a very powerful shot,” Waters said. “His work ethic from mid-season through the tournament was just great. His skill skyrocketed from mid-season on, and he got his confidence up.”
Another senior with a formidable work ethic is Zach Coty. Coach Waters believes that the senior can be an effective scorer for the Rams.
“Zach played quite a bit and trained with me last year. He was slotted into some big games,” said Waters. “He can hold his own out there. He played more in the midfield, but he does have a knack to score. He finds his way into a scoring position.”
Senior Avery Appiah can get the ball into the back of the net for Old Saybrook, too. Coach Waters believes that Appiah is a pure scorer, through and through.
“Avery is very fast, and he has good strength and power. We just have to round him out as a player more,” Waters said. “He’s a single-dimensional scoring striker. He goes to the goal really well, and he can really frustrate defenders.”
A few other players who Coach Waters expects to prove themselves as starters are junior Nick Rothman and sophomores Cameron DeAngelo and Bradley Kulmann.
“Nick Rothman is a totally different player to his brother. He’s more of a forward-striker. He’s got some skills he’s working on, but he’ll play where ever he has to play. Within a few weeks he’ll round out into a starting position as a junior,” Waters said. “Cameron was the leading scorer after coming into the season sick and injured. He really lit it up. He’s a goal scorer and an awesome kid. Bradley we brought up after about 25 percent of the season to get varsity time. Between freshmen games, JV games, and varsity games, he got a lot time in the total. He’s coachable, has good size, and can produce. He’ll find his fit.”
The likelihood of a fall season is still in question with the recent call from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference to put fall sports activities on hold. Coach Waters knows that if the season can take place safely that sports could benefit both those playing and those watching.
“This season is going to be a complete experiment, but I’m looking forward to working with the players and getting them back and confident,” Waters said. “We’ll be working through this health crisis we have going on in the country, and we need to find a way for us to be united and not disjointed. Sport has the ability to do that. You learn to treat a rival with respect.”