By Matt Stout
Staff Writer

Pembroke Academy’s Brandon Ricker pulls the ball down and in, ready to start a run up the line. Ricker, one of Pembroke’s top scorers, helped knock off previously unbeaten Laconia, 8-0, on Friday, Sept 8. (Hooksett Banner/Debray Wilkins)

The sun started its descent as the Pembroke Academy boys soccer team finished practice on Thursday, Sept. 7. But a challenge remained.

With one player standing perfectly still, an empty water bottle balancing on his head, another lined up about 15 yards away, squared the ball toward his target and attempted, with a single kick, to knock the container from his teammates’ head without hitting him.

Basically, William Tell meets Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Dude, it’s impossible,” one Pembroke player chirped after three of his teammates tried unsuccessfully ­ but fortunately, with no injury ­ to pull off the stunt.

“No it’s not,” they replied in unison.

That air of confidence and determination isn’t limited to post-practice parlor tricks. With years of playoff-less seasons behind them, the Spartans entered their second campaign under coach Kevin Walsh with experience, speed and, after one year in Walsh’s system, a comfort level perhaps few PA teams enjoyed in recent years.

When Walsh took over the program last year, he was the third coach in four years. Senior captain Bevan Timm said he and the team’s other seven seniors had never tasted the postseason. Last fall showed promise but also a 5-10-1 team that needed a year to grow. Now, it’s blossoming.

Entering a game with Kearsarge on Wednesday, Sept. 13, the Spartans sported a 3-1 record, including an 8-0 dismantling of Laconia on Friday, Sept. 8, and a 2-1 win on Sept. 1 over Lebanon, a team considered to be a contender for the Class I title.

The season, of course, is still young, but double digit wins and a playoff berth, Walsh said, are certainly not out of the question.

“I really feel confident about the team this year, and I really think we can make playoffs,” said Timm. “(Last) year, Kevin came in and really changed the pace. He has a great attitude. He treats the players well. He’s just a really positive guy, and I think that sets a tone for us.”

One reason PA is talking playoffs is team continuity, Timm said. Another is balance.

Senior forward Devon Newbegin, an all-state honorable mention selection a year ago who netted four goals against Laconia, and sophomore Brandon Ricker, who already has five goals this season, provide most of the scoring. Other players, like Timm and sophomores Jon Grenier and Pat McCormack, are also contributing.

Senior goalie Zack Mason, lone freshmen starter Bill Bernier, juniors Drew Goff and Tynan DeBold and a host of seniors have also taken up key roles. Nat Vigneau, Brad Merrill, Blain Fortune, Chas Jarest and Steven Putnam are all in their final year.

Walsh also instituted a different offensive system. While most teams play with a 4-4-2 formation, Pembroke plays with three midfielders. Together, they help set the pace for the Spartans’ possession-oriented offense, a far cry from “just knocking the ball up the field and relying on being athletic,” Walsh said.

This style, Walsh said, leaves Pembroke vulnerable to more counter-attacks. But the team has the speed to get behind opposing defenses.Just ask Laconia.

“I really asked the kids to possess the ball and to play a better game technically and hold them accountable for what they do with the ball,” Walsh said.

Only a handful of Pembroke athletic teams have traditions of excellence, the most decorated being the Spartans’ cheer squad, which owns eight of the 16 banners hanging in the gymnasium.

But often forgotten is the lone banner commemorating the 1958 state champion Pembroke boys soccer team. It was a long time ago, but at one point, the Spartans were on top. Walsh and company hope this year can be the first step back.

“No one really talks about it,” Timm said of the banner. “But I’m really hoping this year people start to see and notice the soccer program as something good to support.”