Tight-knit junior class leads MV boys soccer – Concord Monitor

There aren’t many commonalties between Buffalo Wild Wings and Rocket League.

One serves chicken wings amongst an ever-growing menu. The other is a digitally-downloaded video game where customizable cars act as soccer players in a unique cyber-sphere.

Merrimack Valley’s boys soccer team – specifically the junior class – has taken akin to both of those objects.

It’s become a tradition for guys like Gavin Wheeler, Lucas Godoi and Drew Baldwin to log onto their gaming consoles the night before a game and unwind with a faux soccer match. Sometimes they’ll even grab a bite to eat beforehand and talk about a range of topics, not just soccer.

Thankfully for the Pride, the team’s skills in video games don’t translate to the pitch.

“I’ll be honest, I’m the worst,” Baldwin said through a laugh. “I’m not very good, but it’s nice, I like it.”

Baldwin may not be the greatest at video games, but he and the rest of the 2023 class have built a foundation in their going-on three years at MV that continues to grow into something special. Coming off a year that saw them only go 6-7-1 and an exit in the Division II semifinals, the Pride have retained a large portion of that 2020 team.

It starts with Wheeler and Godoi.

The two midfielders are the archetype most coaches would want out of their players. They’re a silent duo, seldom to speak both on and off the pitch. You’d think that silence in a game where you need to constantly communicate would be an issue, but the two seemed to have figured out how to talk without saying a word.

Wheeler has six goals and six assists on the year, Godoi has four goals and six assists. Their combined goals account for 40 percent of MV’s total on the year, an astounding feat that didn’t just happen overnight.

It almost feels like a different lifetime, but three years ago when Wheeler stepped onto the practice fields at Rolfe Park he went up to coach Ken Fuller and asked what he needed to do to make an immediate impact. A then-freshman, Wheeler has put in the time and effort to be one of the vital players for the Pride.

“He’s helped me throughout the years become a better player and go to the next level,” Wheeler said of Fuller. “Sometimes he’ll give me drills to do, sometimes he’ll text me things to do like go on a run just to stay in shape.”

 As Wheeler has blossomed into one of the best players on the team, Godoi has been there every step of the way with a bit of a unique perspective on the game.

His family is from Brazil, one of the world’s soccer capitals as renowned players like Pele and Ronaldo, soccer has been center in his life. 

“Realistically, especially during the season, there’s nothing on the TV other than soccer at home,” Godoi said. “Everything relates to soccer. I look at a TV there’s soccer, I look in my closet there’s soccer jerseys.”

The culmination of different backgrounds and different skill sets has allowed for this junior class to mesh together and keep MV within arms reach of the playoff race. The Pride (4-3-3) currently hold the sixth spot in the Division II standings and have six games left. Those games include matchups against Lebanon (third seed), but also three matches with teams that are in the middle of the standings.

Fuller knows that this junior class has going to have to ramp up its already impressive season if it wants to achieve some of the goals they’ve laid out.

“I think as we start to come together, we can surprise some teams in the playoffs,” Fuller said. “I think this is one of the best teams I’ve had in awhile, as a team, it’s about as solid as I’ve had.”

This team does have the opportunity to do something special, and with the top of the division as close as it’s been in some time, there’s no reason as to why this team and this junior class could be ahead of schedule come playoff time.

An extended playoff run this year will only add experience to a team that will return the core next season. Maybe they’ll sneak in another order of chicken wings and allow Baldwin’s Rocket League skills to improve along the way.