The Lewis Lancers Boys Soccer Team kicks off against the Wakefield Warriors in the season opener on March 18. The Lewis Lancers are feeling confident as they start their new season.
Since 2021, the Lewis Lancers Boys soccer team has won multiple district and regional titles and has been qualifying for states. They hope to keep on winning titles for this 2025 spring season.
Coach John Milward has been leading this program since 2011 and more recently with the help of assistant Coach Eliott Millan. The captains this season are seniors Jonathan Sosa (Midfield), Nelson Hernandez (Forward), Jeremy Orellena (Forward), and Miguel Mijango (Defender).
Sosa’s goal, like many of his teammates, is a state title, which has escaped the team since their last title in 1985.
“My thoughts going into this senior year are really to push my team to be the best and play more collectively and try to win a state title. That is the goal for this season,” Sosa said.
After the scrimmages, the Lancers will be competing in twenty-four games, provided they qualify for states, and Hernandez hopes to win all of these.
“I am looking forward to seeing our team go undefeated,” Hernandez said.
However, Sosa and Hernandez, like many returning players, look most forward to reuniting with his fellow soccer teammates.
“The soccer team at Lewis means more than being part of a club. It means being part of a family and [is] a beautiful memory I will cherish forever,” Sosa said.
This year’s team is strengthened by the addition of new players: senior Andres Roca (Goalkeeper), sophomore Damian Chacon (Fullback), senior Eddie Machado-Castellon (Forward), and senior Jeffery Cruz-Andrade (Midfield).
Machado-Castellon is a transfer student from Annandale High School who brings an attacking mentality and pressing mentality as well being a hard worker on the field.
Cruz-Andrade is a new player to the varsity team but has experience in the SYC club. Cruz is a midfielder that is composed on the ball, has a great range of passing skills, and can dictate the tempo of the game.
Roca is a keeper with experience in club soccer. Roca is fearless, has good distribution with his feet and hands, and is a great communicator.
Chacon is a player who also has played in club soccer. He is a fullback that is fast and good on the ball, with great defensive skills and one-on-one defending.
Despite the addition of all these strong new players with their experience in high-level club soccer, the success of the Lancers this season depends on the chemistry of the team. These new players are adding pieces to what is already a strong team chemistry.
One of the reasons the Lewis soccer team is so strong is because we have been playing with each other since a young age and our chemistry just flows within us. The teammates grew up near one another and played pickup games in the same fields as well as serving his teammates on the SYC teams and other high-level soccer clubs.
Orellena will start his second and final season with the Lancers, but before Lewis, he was on the SYC team with many of his teammates.
“I am looking forward to a great season with the team and most importantly to make history for the school with my brothers,” Orellena said.
The Lancers success wouldn’t be possible without the support of the coaches, fans, and school community. Coach Milward recognizes that the Lewis team is very diverse with different talents and athletic backgrounds, but despite the differences, the Lancers still performs like a cohesive team.
Coach Milward is a strong leader for the Lewis Lancers and is quick to credit the team for their accomplishments. Milward sees the potential that soccer has as a force that continues to bring the Lewis community together.
“The school itself has so much to offer with regards to just a snapshot of what the Springfield community represents–not only with the demographics but also with the interests. Soccer [is] a popular sport in the Springfield area. It’s an honor to be a coach of a program that brings so much joy to the parents and folks that support our program,” Milward said.
The Lewis Lancers, under Milward’s coaching, constantly bring out the best of each other to become better players. Off the field, the players strive to become better people and students. The amount of memories this team creates is unlimited as seen through the relationships between teammates and coaches and through the successes and challenges of games and practices.
As a teammate myself, the Lewis Lancers have shown me multiple reasons to keep fighting for each other and to show up for one another. We continue to learn that this sport doesn’t define us, but it’s more of what we bring and offer to the team and the community of Lewis.
Best of luck to my fellow Lewis Lancers as we compete for district, regionals, and state titles this 2025 season!
