By Sami Joubert
Staff Writer

The Westford Academy soccer teams kicked off a brand new season, with a goal to be this year’s Dual County League champions. Despite a slow-rolling start, with the varsity team currently 1-2-2, the varsity, junior varsity, and freshman teams are all making a push to finish off the year with the best records they can.

Historically, Westford Academy soccer teams have all done well in past seasons. The JV team usually has a winning record by year’s end. Although junior varsity and freshman leagues lack a playoff series to cap off the regular season, the varsity team has made up for it by representing Westford Academy in the DCL playoffs many times in past years.

“The boys’ and girls’ soccer teams almost always make it,” freshman soccer coach Andrew Norander said. “Both boys’ and girls’ soccer have a long tradition of winning and success. We broke out a long time ago.”

The Dual County League, which consists of teams primarily from towns in the surrounding area, is a privilege to compete in, according to Norander. The DCL is considered to be a great league to compete in, and hosts not just soccer, but leagues for many other sports that WA participates in.

“The Dual County League is really one of the best high school leagues in the whole state for soccer,” says Norander, “and that’s not just me saying that, every couple of years you’ll find an article in the Boston Globe that says that.”

The schedule for the soccer teams usually consists of 16 to 18 games per season. Although Westford Academy is most assuredly well off in terms of future participation in DCL soccer, a recent drop in the number of players has become apparent. This year alone, at least a dozen seniors will be graduating from the varsity team that is already low in amounts of sophomores and juniors.

Nevertheless, Westford still has a soccer program that hopes to continue to be one of the top teams in the league for years to come.

“We’re really blessed with great programs here, great student athletes, and hopefully, great coaches,” said Norander.