As Taft’s Boys’ Soccer and Girls’ Soccer take to the pitch for the 2025 season, expectations are riding high, and early signs are promising for both varsity squads.
Boys’ Soccer is coming off back-to-back appearances in the New England Class A Championship and a title win in 2024. Their impressive 17-3-1 record last season also put them on top of the Founders League for the second year in a row. However, Head Coach Ozzie Parente and the Rhinos are still focused on the details and not getting ahead of themselves.
“Winning the Founders League, making the New England Tournament, and winning that competition are always goals, but we think about achieving that through accomplishing the day-to-day, even moment-to-moment goals that we have,” Parente told The Papyrus.
Parente sees “a ton of depth” in his team and expects “captain James Cooper ’26 (Babson commit) to lead the charge up front, while co-captains Vincent Levasseur ’26 (UC Irvine) and Marcos Santana ’26 (Bates) anchor the backline.”
In terms of additional offense, Cooper told The Papyrus he believes Alex Calabro ‘27 will be a big threat and that the versatile James Morrison ‘26 should also be a key contributor. The underrated Mathis Elissaint ‘26 is seen as “the glue to the midfield.”
On defense, Levasseur said he likes “the addition of two extremely smart and reliable defenders, Miguel Kwebou ’27 and Caleb White ‘26.” Between the pipes, Reed Orben ‘27 and Brayden Raudenbuch ‘26 are “very talented goalkeepers.”
In addition to the many strong returners, the squad also expects big things from its recruits. “Mason Barron, Fields DeShaw, Will Murray, and Tye Haley are all excellent players who will contribute to our offense,” said Levasseur.
As of this writing, the Boys are off to a 5-0 start with decisive victories against Greenwich Country Day and Brunswick. The Rhinos have a target on their backs as defending champs, but Cooper pointed to the team’s “culture” and Levasseur identified the team’s “brotherhood” as the elements they think will ultimately make this team successful. “Staying consistent and responding positively to any setbacks will be crucial,” said Santana.
The Taft Girls’ Soccer team’s record of consecutive winning seasons over the last three years is no less impressive than the Boys’. Finishing at 10-5-1 in 2024, the Rhinos were a force to be reckoned with in the Founders League. In pursuit of the program’s fifth New England Class A Championship, the Girls are ready to make some noise this year, captained by seniors Sofia Lombardo Varisco and Elly Ouellette.
The co-captains’ message to the team is straightforward. “By developing the right habits, we can become consistent in our sport and not let outside factors interrupt our season,” Lombardo told The Papyrus.
Ouellette believes the team is a phenomenal group of girls, but stresses that “none of that matters if we do not have confidence in ourselves, our teammates, and our team as a whole.”
Head Coach Rebecca Swift believes the Rhinos have what it takes. When asked by The Papyrus to describe her squad, she highlighted how connected the team already is. “We have a lot of speed, technical talent, and the ability to possess the ball in key areas,” she added.
Swift points to the leadership of Lombardo and Ouellette as instrumental to the team’s success. Up front, she is excited to have scoring threat Ruth Amponsah ‘27 back for another big season. The team is also expected to rely heavily on Alex Trombley ‘27 and Melina Kennedy ‘26 on the defensive line. Senior Sofia Smith is expected to hold it down in the net.
In addition to a strong core of returners, the team has an exciting blend of power and goal-scoring potential in its recruits. Marianna Daniel ‘29, Harper Van Maanen ‘28, and Eleanor Raveis ‘28 are expected to be key contributors. Leila Douglas ‘27 and Keira LaFrance ‘29 will also play important roles.
As of this writing, the team is off to a solid 3-1-1 record, including big wins against Canterbury and Greenwich Country Day. Ouellette attributed this early success to the entire team buying in: “I can honestly say that every single person on the team has stepped up and excelled in the role they play, on the field and off.”
What stands out most to Coach Swift is the collective energy. She believes that if the team stays grounded in their values, they’ll be in a strong position to go far this season.
