Team Info
Boys' Soccer - Varsity
Overview
Overview
2018 New England Semifinalists
2018 WNEPSSA Class A Runner-Up
2017 New England Semifinalists
2016 Founders League Champion
2016 New England Semifinalists
2016 WNEPSSA Class A Runner-Up
2015 New England Quarterfinalists
2011 New England Semifinalists
2011 WNEPSSA Class A Runner-Up
2005 Western New England Sportsmanship Award
Taft has a great tradition for soccer and provides committed student-athletes a setting to take their game to the highest possible level. With four boys' soccer teams, each having its own schedule, field, and coaches, Taft soccer is truly a developmental program where players work their way through the system. The program is known for its camaraderie and places tremendous value on hard work and sportsmanship. Taft's varsity team has enjoyed decades of winning seasons, highlighted by a Founders League Championship in 2016 and Class A New England Tournament berths in 2011 and each year from 2015 through 2018. In each of the last three seasons (2016 - 2018) Taft reached the semi-finals of this tournament and has been ranked as a top five prep school team in the country. Taft was also honored with the Western New England Sportsmanship Award in 2005. Taft soccer is an extraordinary experience. Within one of the finest academic high schools in America, Taft Soccer offers its players the chance to play a rigorous schedule, which includes matches against the biggest and best programs in prep soccer. Taft soccer players will have the opportunity to play with and against college level athletes from all over the country and world, the privilege to play and train on one of the finest fields in New England, and the chance to train with experienced coaches that have played the game at the collegiate level and beyond. Taft's soccer program provides players with considerable exposure to college coaches, and many of our athletes have continued their soccer careers at prestigious colleges and universities, including The Air Force Academy, Amherst College, Bucknell University, Colgate University, Cornell University, Connecticut College, Hamilton College, The College of the Holy Cross, Lehigh University, Northeastern University, Middlebury College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), St. Lawrence University, University of Virginia, Wesleyan University, Williams College, Yale University, and several others. Taft soccer is the complete package for an aspiring student-athlete and a unique opportunity to gain exposure to the game at its highest level.
Schedule
Schedule
| Opponent | Date | Time | Location | Advantage | Type | Details | Result | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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vs.
Brunswick School
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Home | View Recap | Win | 5-1 | |||
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vs.
Westminster School
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Home | View Recap | Win | 2-0 | |||
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vs.
Avon Old Farms School
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Loomis Chaffee School | Away | View Recap | Win | 3-0 | ||
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vs.
Deerfield Academy
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Deerfield Academy | Away | View Recap | Win | 1-0 | ||
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vs.
Phillips Academy Andover
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Home | View Recap | Win | 2-0 | |||
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vs.
The Gunnery
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The Gunnery | Away | View Recap | Win | 11-0 | ||
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vs.
Suffield Academy
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Suffield Academy | Away | View Recap | Win | 2-1 | ||
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vs.
Berkshire School
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Home | View Recap | Loss | 3-2 | |||
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vs.
Trinity-Pawling School
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Home | View Recap | Win | 3-0 | |||
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vs.
Canterbury School
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Canterbury School | Away | View Recap | Win | 5-0 | ||
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vs.
Williston Northampton School
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Williston Northampton School | Away | View Recap | Win | 1-0 | ||
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vs.
Salisbury School
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Salisbury School | Away | View Recap | Win | 10-1 | ||
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vs.
Kent School
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Home | View Recap | Win | 3-0 | |||
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vs.
Choate Rosemary Hall
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Home | View Recap | Win | 5-2 | |||
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vs.
Loomis Chaffee School
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Home | View Recap | Win | 1-0 | |||
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vs.
Cheshire Academy
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Cheshire Academy | Away | View Recap | Tie | 2-2 | ||
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vs.
Hotchkiss School
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Hotchkiss School | Away | View Recap | Win | 3-1 | ||
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vs.
Berkshire School
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Home | View Recap | Win | 1-0 | |||
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vs.
Worcester Academy
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Worcester Academy | Away | View Recap | Loss | 2-1 |
Roster
Coaches
Coaches
About Head Coach Ozzie Parente
Ozzie Parente took over as the head coach in 2013 and has led Taft's varsity soccer team to six straight winning seasons. During those four years, Taft has compiled a record of 75-21-12, and in each season from 2015 through 2018 the team earned berths in the Class A New England Tournament. In 2016, Ozzie led the team to a Founders League Championship and was named the 2016 Connecticut Large Prep School Coach of the Year. Ozzie currently holds a U.S. Soccer "E" Coaching License. Ozzie came to Taft in the fall of 2009 after graduating from Wesleyan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in molecular biology and biochemistry and later earned a Master's Degree in science education from Columbia University. While at Wesleyan, Ozzie was a four-year letter winner for varsity soccer and the team captain his senior year. During his freshman year, Wesleyan men’s soccer won the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship, and in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, the team earned bids to the Division III NCAA tournament. Ozzie earned Second Team Academic All-American and Academic All-NESCAC honors in both his junior and senior years. Ozzie played high school soccer at Hopkins School, where he was a four-year letter winner and the team captain his senior year. He was also named to the All-State Team for Connecticut during both his junior and senior years at Hopkins. He played club soccer with South Central Premier and with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) for the state of Connecticut. In addition to coaching soccer at Taft, Ozzie is the Dean of the Upper Middle Class and teaches chemistry. He has also coached basketball, softball, and track and field at Taft. Ozzie does dormitory duty in the ISP dormitory and lives on campus with his wife Lisa.
Click the photos below for additional coach bios and contact information
