PEABODY — The Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Tanners are looking to improve on last year’s season that ended in heartbreak.
Peabody had a pretty good season finishing (9-9-1) overall and winning a playoff game in the process before falling to Leominster in devastating fashion to end its 2021 campaign.
“We were leading 2-1 with like two minutes left, and a kid from Leominster shot a ball that hit the far corner post and fell in — they tied it. Then we lost on a direct kick in overtime,” said Tanners’ Head Coach Stan McKeen.
Heading into the 2022 season, the Tanners will lose a good chunk of important players and leaders, with 10 seniors graduating. However, McKeen acknowledged that turnover is a part of high school sports and is confident in the kids that will play this year.
“It would be nice if half of those 10 that graduated would be back this year, but that is part of high school sports — you have to move on to the next group, but we have a good nucleus coming back, so I am pleased about that,” said McKeen.
According to McKeen, some players to keep an eye on and who are part of that nucleus are senior captain strikers Nathan Braz and Ryan Alves. On the defensive side of the pitch, he mentioned Kyle Lobao would be huge in limiting other teams’ scoring chances.
Victor Maciel, a striker who will be a four-year varsity player, will be huge for the Tanners this upcoming season.
“He is an outstanding player — outstanding striker. Big, strong, skilled, and he [Maciel] will be one of the main wheels for this year,” said McKeen.
McKeen also mentioned midfielder and striker Bruno Correia, his goalie Paul Drilon and a host of juniors who will be impactful for the Tanners.
“I am certainly expecting a better than (9-9-1) season this year. I am hoping that we are able to get over the hump, get a good start with everything and have a good record within the NEC [The Northeastern Conference],” said McKeen.
As practices and tryouts began this week, the Tanners are rich with new young talent as 50 kids came out for tryouts meaning Peabody will have three teams — varsity with an A and B junior varsity team, and the energy has been great.
“Good numbers, good intensity — the kids, especially the seniors, seem to be looking forward to having a better year than last year, so very positive attitudes from all of them, which is a good thing,” said McKeen.
A point of emphasis for the Tanners this season seems obvious but is easier said than done — putting the ball in the net. McKeen explained that last year the team often had trouble scoring, which led games to become rock fights where Peabody would come out on the losing end of close games.
“The lack of putting the ball in the net during the season did not help — we lost a lot of 2-1, 1-0 games, and so forth. Improving the offense this year is probably the biggest thing, and I think with the new players coming on this year that played on the JV team last year — I think it is going to add a lot of spark,” said McKeen.
“We should do very well offensively, and we have a very good defense too and goaltending. It is just a matter if we can put the ball in the net a little bit more, we will be fine,” he added.
Speaking of the defense, McKeen says it has been strong for years now and will potentially continue with this year’s version of the Tanners.
“I have been fortunate over the last few years — we have had a very strong defense every year for the last six or seven years, and I expect it will be the same this year that our defense will be strong,” said McKeen.
The Tanners will open their 2022 season at home against Danvers Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 4 p.m.
Michael Coughlin Jr. can be reached at [email protected].
