Freshman Andrew Hagan (9) plays goalkeeper for Manual’s Boys Varsity Soccer team.

Being one of the only freshmen on a team of upperclassmen can be stressful and put a lot of pressure on a teammate, especially for a goalkeeper, which is a significant position in soccer.

“Being a freshman on the team was kind of intimidating at first, but after our first game it wasn’t so bad. The teammates are all a nice group of guys and are fun to be around.” Hagan said.

Hagan has played soccer for most of his life, and has played goalkeeper for five years. “Playing varsity is really cool. I mean not many people do that, so I feel pretty good about it,” Hagan said, “But then again, everyone always says how good I am when I feel that I still have so much more to get better at.”

Jake Avetisian (9) plays for Manual’s Boys Junior Varsity team, and has known Andrew since they were in third grade. He has played soccer with him on and off over the years. “It’s really cool how he made varsity. He devotes his life to soccer and works harder than anybody I know,” Jake said, “He’s always been about soccer and I sincerely believe he can go far.”