Since 2001, the boys varsity soccer team has faced one of the best teams in the nation each year. Though the record of the matchup doesn’t show it (1–17), the game versus Whitman always presents a challenge to St. Benedict’s Preparatory School boys soccer team.

The two first played in 2000 after Whitman’s undefeated season, which included a state championship title, earned them the third place national ranking. That same season, St. Benedict’s, a private school in downtown Newark, New Jersey, ranked fourth.

“They actually reached out to us,” Whitman boys varsity soccer coach Dave Greene said. “I think they weren’t understanding why a public school would be ranked ahead of them. I don’t blame them.”

Former Whitman striker Ramiro Peralta Ramos (‘02) recalls the game being the game of the season for the team, even coming off of their state championship run. The game was just after the 9/11 attacks, so the players wore black armbands. Despite the somber mood, both teams brought their best and the game was an extremely close match, between two top 5 teams.

“It was a very even game,” Ramos said. “They were a great team, but I don’t think they were so much better than us. We were 10 minutes away from winning the game, then they tied it and we lost in overtime at the very end, two to one.”

Currently ranked second in the nation, St. Benedict’s Prep has dominated high school soccer for years. Until last year, they won 27 consecutive New Jersey state championships, with 10 national championships in their history. Last year was an uncharacteristic year for the team, as they were down 18 seniors who had graduated the previous year, St. Benedict’s coach Jim Wandling said.

This year, St. Benedict’s traveled to Bethesda and edged the Vikes 2–1 Sept. 9. Driving four hours down and playing directly after getting off the bus was a challenge for the New Jersey team, Wandling said.

“My team had a very difficult time this year traveling to Maryland, getting off the bus, then matching the energy that Whitman brought on Saturday,” Wandling said. “Whitman’s team was very fit, organized and brought a real competitive spirit on Saturday. On another day, they may have gotten us.”

Whitman players also noticed that their opponents were lagging, especially after the first half.  

“In the second half, I think they were scared to lose,” defender Dylan Reid said. “They fell back and stopped pressuring us as much as they did in the first half.”

After losing multiple games last season, St. Benedict’s has rebuilt their team. They had difficult conversations with much of the team about cutting players and added a number of new squad members, Wandling said.

Last year was the first time Whitman defeated St. Benedict’s in the series, winning 4–1 in Newark. Sophomore Harmond Cohen said he didn’t understand the gravity of the game in his freshman year until the teams started scoring.

“I remember our coach hyping it up all season,” Cohen said. “In the second half, when we scored our first goal, our entire team dogpiled on the other side of the field. We had never experienced that feeling of beating such a good team before, so it had a big influence on all our players.”

The two teams hold each other in high regard, and senior Lars Crovetto-Soholt said that playing St. Benedict’s every year is entirely different than any other matchup, he said.

“It’s a whole different animal,” Crovetto-Soholt said. “They’re a really competitive and organized team. They really respect us as a team, and I enjoy the fact that they play us straight up.”