After a berth to the state tournament in 2022, the Haddam-Killingworth boys’ soccer team is ready to move another foot forward while competing towards a Shoreline Conference crown. The Cougars are moving swiftly towards those goals behind a fast start fueled by desire, dedication, and teamwork.

Last fall, the Cougars produced a 7-7-1 regular season record, good enough to put the Cougars through to the Class S State Tournament as the No. 21 seed, before bowing out to No. 12 Bolton by a 5-2 final in the first round.

Yet this season, H-K is already more than halfway to surpassing that win total with a 6-1-1 mark, only allowing a stingy one goal in the opening five contests. Head Coach Mike Mead maintained that any and all success that will be procured by the Cougars this year starts with chemistry off the pitch and, based on the numbers through the first half of the campaign, the cohesion is conveyed on the field with great point distribution.

“Our main priority has been off the field. We are really trying to bring these guys together and show that we can handle and overcome adversity, win and lose with class, while also building new in-team friendships and memories,” said Mead. “On the field our season as a whole is to just compete. There is always the end goal in mind trying to make it to a conference final and a run at states, but we are going game by game and putting our best foot forward, no matter who we have to face. The team chemistry has been at an all-time high, and our play is showing. Through the first five games, we put away 24 goals in which 19 have been assisted, showing we are moving and sharing the ball with nine different goal scorers.”

The two-headed front of senior captains for the Cougars occupy the defensive and middle thirds of the turf, with center midfielder James Marchetti and center defensive midfielder Ben Werner. Marchetti brings to the table a great cerebral component to the game, while Werner brings the extra legwork on a daily basis as a versatile standout.

“James is our IQ guy; he sees the game from a true center midfield perspective. He can control the pace of play and distribute to make our offense dangerous. He brings a great balance of leadership, along with expectations when it comes to a team-oriented environment and intensity during training and games,” Mead said. “Ben brings intensity to our team in games as a two-way player. He can use both feet and has a knack for helping us use him to complement our inside out play style and find changes on the field. With his ability of both feet, Ben excels at big through balls for our wingers and strikers to get in behind the defense. He has been involved with coaching our town travel teams over the years that a lot of these young guys played for. There is a great level of respect from player to player when it comes to Ben and his extra effort and care for the team’s success.”

Also in the senior class is center mid/forward Cole Merriam, the team’s leading scorer the prior three years, plus classmates Ryan Lasusa and Luke Staskelunas on the wing.

“Cole is in a position now to really lead this team and our attack with scoring and distributing. His on-ball skills, soccer IQ, and ability to score with his strong left foot puts him as one of the top players in the conference,” Mead said. “Ryan is our speed guy and an amazing on the ball talent. He goes unmatched in 1-v-1 situations, and really gets our offense going and puts us in dangerous positions with the chance to create goal scoring opportunities. Luke is another speed guy playing wide and making our attack dangerous on both sides. Luke has really broken out this year, and is taking his game to the next level early on.”

Sophomore Phin Merriam will bolster the offense at striker, and the defense is anchored by senior Luke Mauri in net, sophomore Tetsu Imai, plus juniors Michael Perry and Sam Greenwood, and sophomores Eli Hamman-Shay, Tetsu Imai, and Ian Pizzorusso.

“Only being a sophomore, Phin is one of the more dangerous attackers on the team and in the conference. He is strong-bodied, allowing us to play through him in an attacking position that also helps us build up around him. I expect a very big season for Phin this year,” said Mead. “[On the defense and goaltending] This group as a whole is really coming together, as we do not have a senior on our backline. It is asking a lot from a young group, but they are up for any challenge. They are physical and fast, with the abilities to allow us to play out of the back. Through our first five games, we posted four shutouts and limited teams to at most a shot or two allowed per game, some games with none allowed.”

Additional key contributors, per Mead, include freshman Tristen Edwards, seniors Andrew Montes, Dylan Churyk, Blake Kamoen, plus sophomores Gavin Eddinger, Chase Bruno, and Finn O’Hanlon.

With the first month of the campaign already at the Cougars’ collective back, each future matchup weighs more heavily than the former. Still, H-K is ready to test their mettle against fellow heavyweights of the league.

“Every game is big and impactful to a season in the Shoreline Conference,” said Mead. “As the season rolls on, we hope to put ourselves in a position to compete with the big dogs of the conference. Come season’s end, we really look forward to seeing what we are capable of versus East Hampton and Old Saybrook in mid to late October.”

Regardless of how the remainder of the season’s slate pans out in terms of wins and losses, the Cougars aim high to triumph as well above-average individuals, and as a family, while making memories they can cherish for years to come as a bonus.

“All I want in the end is for these young men to really understand the big picture here when it comes to student athletics,” said Mead. “And know that together they are stronger and to have a season they can hold on to for the rest of their lives.”

Mead is back for his fourth campaign as H-K’s head coach and fifth overall within the program, and he is assisted by now two-year Cougars’ coaching veteran Andrew Mead.

The Cougars’ 2023 team roster is comprised of seniors Churyk, Kamoen, Lasusa, Marchetti, Mauri, Cole Merriam, Montes, Ryan Ruggiero, Staskelunas, Werner; juniors Liem Criscuolo, Anthony Garoppolo, Greenwood, Joseph Lucero, Perry, Chase Smalley; sophomores Gabriel Blair, Bruno, Jameson Conte, Eddinger, Hamann-Shay, Imai, Seraphin Merriam, Cameron Moore, Nat Novick, O’Hanlon, Pizzorusso, Brendon Schuler, Adam Stall-Ryan, Kellen Thompson, Ian Young; plus freshmen Edwards, Jake Favalora, Aidan Lena, Ben Murphy, Austin Oboma, Aaron Richwine, Cole Therrien, and Desmond Thompson.

2023 Haddam-Killingworth Boys’ Soccer Team Regular Season Results and Schedule

Sept. 9: H-K 5, Coginchaug 1

Sept. 12: H-K 0, Portland 0

Sept. 15: H-K 9, Hale-Ray 0

Sept. 16: H-K 5, Manchester 0

Sept. 19: H-K 5, Valley Regional 0

Oct. 2: Morgan 3, H-K 0

Oct. 5: H-K 1, Cromwell 0

Monday, Oct. 9: at St. Paul Catholic at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 11: at Westbrook at 3:45 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 12: at North Branford at 4 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 16: at East Hampton at 4 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 19: vs. Old Saybrook at 3:45 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 25: at Coginchaug at 3:45 p.m.