Dogies wrap up season against Torrington

The Newcastle Dogies boys soccer team wrapped up its season Friday with an 8-1 loss to Torrington in a JV scrimmage format after the Trailblazers loaned players so Newcastle could field a full squad.

The Dogies entered the contest with only eight available players, so Torrington provided four athletes to allow the teams to play 11-on-11.

Coach Travis Thomas said the match was one of the team’s most difficult performances of the year.

“This game was a struggle and one of our worst games of the season,” Thomas said.

Newcastle’s lone goal came when a Torrington player accidentally scored an own goal. Goalkeeper Damien Ankeney recorded seven saves in the first half before moving into the field during the second half.

Though disappointed with the result, Thomas said he emphasized the team’s growth and perseverance following the match.

“It was rough to play so poorly in our last game and I tried to be honest and encouraging with the end of the season,” Thomas said. “I told the boys that we have grown a lot this season and the entire team has shown a lot of heart and improvement throughout the year.”

The Dogies played much of the season shorthanded and competed primarily in JV contests because of low numbers. Despite the challenges, Thomas said he is optimistic about the future of the program.

“I look forward to next year where we have many juniors and sophomores coming back as well as a few freshmen so we can field an entire team,” Thomas said.