Newport
“I’d be very disappointed if we didn’t win a few games,” said Ethan Jean, Newport’s first-year coach. “I don’t think five or six wins is too lofty a goal.”
That was the general feeling around Sichol Field as the Tigers begin had their first practice Monday, one that will eventually lead to an ambitious 16-game schedule.
When asked why the Tigers didn’t opt to make their debut season in Division IV, Newport athletic director Jeff Miller said that was never a consideration. “We’re a Division III school,” he said. “We’ll play a Division III schedule.”
One of the reasons that there is optimism and not fear surrounding the 20 or so players is that many of them have been playing junior varsity soccer under Jean for the past three or four seasons. The Tigers posted a winning record last fall in a season that included a 3-0 defeat of rival Stevens.
“We were 7-5 last year,” said Jean, who is a math teacher at the school and played college soccer at the University of Maine-Farmington. “We got better as the year went along.”
Four of those wins came the shutout route with Ethan Houde in the net, as he will be this season.
“I think we’re ready for this,” said Houde of taking the big step. “I think we’re going to turn some heads. I can’t wait to get going.”
The Tigers know there are parts of the schedule that will certainly be troublesome, but there are many other games that are there for the taking. Stevens, which is a preseason pick to be among D-III’s leaders, is on the schedule twice, and perennially strong Hopkinton (a state semifinalist in 2015) will also play the Tigers. Newport has two games scheduled with always-tough Sunapee. Still, when Jean kicks the schedule threw his mind he thinks that there are games with Franklin, Mascoma, Laconia and Newfound that are toss-ups.
“We certainly are not going to be embarrassed most days,” Jean said.
“We played a flat back (four across the defense) in college sometimes, and when we have the ball, the other guy can’t score,” explained Jean, who favors a possession style of game. “So we’ll keep the ball at our feet when we can. It won’t be all defense. We’ve got some guys here that can score.”
T. J. Hubert and Brenden Hallock have been with the junior varsity program and feel its time to take the next step.
“We’ve been preparing for this, and it’s time to get into a Division III schedule,” said Hubert. “I look around at what we have here, and I think we can compete. I know I’m really excited.”
“I think we can have a .500 season,” said Hallock.
There are still some issues to settle on the personnel front. While Newport was assembling on Monday, a new player arrived unannounced. Miller said he was from Orion House, a remedial home that takes in students from across the state who, in turn, attend Newport High School. The team met the new guy for the first time at the practice, all taking a moment to shake his hand and welcome him to the team.
When practice began with a running session and the new arrival was out in front, Miller said, “Who knows what we’ve got here?”
Then there was the freshman who was having a hard time and taking a long break to catch his breath and get some water. “This is not middle-school soccer anymore,” Miller told him. “This is the real thing.”
Miller and Jean both believe that this is the second attempt to get a boys varsity soccer program going. Miller guessed the previous try came about 15 or 16 years ago, but early practice sessions were not well-attended and the season was eventually forfeited.
“The NHIAA didn’t think much of that,” said Miller.
One thing is sure there will be no such fate this season.
“I think we’re going to surprise some people,” said Jean “We’re not in over our heads.”