SALEM — When an injury forces you to miss an entire season, it’s tough having to watch your teammates from the sidelines knowing there isn’t much you can do to help them. That was the theme of Peabody native Lucas Amaral’s season last fall with the men’s soccer team at Salem State.
A forward, Amaral tore his ACL in his left knee just minutes into last year’s season opener and was sidelined for the remainder of the 2017 campaign.
“It was very frustrating,” Amaral, a redshirt sophomore, said. “It definitely was frustrating mentally and physically. Going to practice every day and watching, going to games and not being able to play. It was frustrating.
“I definitely learned that I’m mentally stronger now than I was before,” Amaral added. “Those nine months, not being able to move or do as much, definitely made me mentally stronger.”
Now that he’s healthy and back at full strength, Amaral’s determined to make up for lost time by helping lead the Vikings to back-to-back MASCAC championships. So far, so good as the Vikings are 9-1-1 through their first 11 games of the 2018 season.
Offensively, Salem State’s spreading the wealth with multiple scoring threats stepping up at different times. The Vikings have scored 20 goals this season and have featured 10 different goal-scorers. Freshman midfielder and Everett High product Gabriel Meireles leads the team in goals scored with five.
Defensively, the Vikings have locked down on opponents throughout the season. Salem State has pitched five shutouts and has allowed just seven goals in its 11 games. The Vikings are undefeated (6-0) in home games at Alumni Field and 3-0-1 against MASCAC opponents.
“This year Coach (Matt) Correia has talked about how we don’t have a true forward,” Amaral said. “We’re finding ways to score. We’re all about defense. We have the best back line in the conference. We don’t allow many goals, maybe one a game. Our defense is really working well this year. Different players are finding ways to score. We have guys who have some experience already and new guys that came in are doing their part.”
Although he only took the field for a few minutes last season, Amaral used his time on the sidelines wisely by watching the game from different perspectives and taking in as much as he could. Amaral feels he came into his sophomore campaign better prepared because he applied what he learned last fall.
“I feel very good this year,” Amaral, who has scored one goal with two assists this season, said. “I’ve improved on some things from last year, sitting out. Small, technical things in my game, speed and agility. I definitely came into the season better prepared than I was last year.”
As the Vikings approach the closing stretch of their schedule, Amaral’s confident they can sustain their solid start as long as they continue playing their brand of soccer. With nine victories in 11 games, changes aren’t necessary the rest of the way. For Salem State, it’s more so a case of continuing to build on what’s worked for them.
“I feel like we have to keep playing the way we’re playing now,” Amaral said. “We’re good when we start to move the ball. When we’re moving the ball and everyone’s buying into the game, that’s when we’re unstoppable.”
A graduate of Peabody High, Amaral was a three-year player for Tanners boys soccer coach Stan McKeen. Amaral said one of the reasons he chose to continue his soccer career at Division III Salem State was because he wanted to remain close to home. Amaral’s friends and family members often make the quick trip to Salem to watch him play.
“That’s definitely cool, they come to games all the time whenever they can,” Amaral said. “My friends too. I know a good amount of people that go to Salem State so it wasn’t hard to find friends. The support from my friends is cool. Everyone comes to my games when they can.”
Amaral and the Vikings host New England College in a non-conference tilt Wednesday night (7).