Green Hope soccer: Promising start

Mason Cline and Evan Tsambasis

September 11, 2024

The team posed for a celebratory photo after beating East Chapel Hill 3-0. Photo used with permission from Gabby Fekete

The Green Hope Falcons have started the year 8-0, and as of Sept. 11 are ranked 3rd in NC and 12th in the country per MaxPreps. The team has been shutting out the competition, beating Leasville, the number seven team in the state, 5-0. Their most recent win was against Jordan who they beat 4-0. The game prior they defeated Fuquay Varina 9-0 in a mercy rule win

The Falcons have qualified for the finals of the Wake County Cup which will take place on September 27th. The team is led by captains Andrew Zagacki, Jacob Colberg and Adam Granai. The Wake County Cup is a tournament where the top two teams in conferences around Wake County compete. Coach Ostrander was proud of his team’s hard work that led them to the cup finals

Jacob Colberg (‘25) leads in goals with 13 goals, 1.9 goals per game, and assists with 7 assists, 1.0 assists per game. Will Kaiser (‘25) is succeeding in goal letting in only .410 goals per game.

When asked about the team’s success, midfielder and captain Andrew Zagacki (‘25) said, “Our team’s biggest strength is the energy we bring to the field; it intimidates the other team and gives us momentum throughout the game.”

Similar to this year, the Falcons started off strong in 2023 but last year they lost in the first round of playoffs. When asked how this team differs from last year Zagacki said, “Everyone is more connected together and everyone is friends on the team.”

The team works to remain humble and self critical even with their initial success. Zagacki stated, “We are focused on our ranking too much and we need to focus more on ourselves and how we perform on the field not what the media thinks.”

To this point in the season they have only played out of conference games. The Falcons are approaching their first conference game but don’t seem worried about it at all. Zagacki claimed, “We are completely prepared for the conference and are expecting to win most of our conference games.” Their first conference game is on September 11th. Coach Ostrander agreed with Zagacki saying “I’m pleased with our performance, we built a great foundation last year. I like the way were moving the ball, I like the way were moving off the ball, I like the way were defending, I like the team spirit, I like the character of the individuals, I see us going as far as we want to in conference.”

The men’s soccer team plays their first conference game on Wednesday, September 11th. After a promising start in their non-conference games, they go into conference play undefeated.

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About the Contributors

Mason Cline, Staff Writer

Mason Cline is currently a senior at Green Hope High School and this is his second year on staff. He hopes to study business at either NC State or UNC Wilmington. He spends his free time eating “good food”, especially sushi. As the youngest in a big family, Mason claims it was hard for him to figure out what he wanted to do. However, with a few English classes and a newfound love for writing, joining the GH Falcon became an interest he could call his own. Nine times out of ten, if you ask Mason what he’s listening to, it’ll probably be a John Mayer song.

Evan Tsambasis, Staff Writer

Evan Tsambasis is a senior at Green Hope High School and it is his first year as a writer for the GH Falcon. He has a passion for writing and wants to expand his skills and experience. Since he was five, Evan has played soccer and currently runs track. Additionally, he runs his own business, which he wants to take into his future and career. In his free time, he plays video games like Fortnite and listens to all types of rap music such as Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky and Drake. Evan is thrilled to be a part of the GH Falcon staff and is looking forward to improving as a writer.