He earned a call up to the U.S. men’s national soccer team despite not playing the sport until he was 18 years old. He played against Pele. As coach, he turned the Boston College men’s soccer team into a national power in the 1970s and 1980s.
Perhaps the most interesting man in New Hampshire high school soccer, Ben Brewster, is six decades into his coaching career and back at ConVal Regional High School in Peterborough.
Brewster, 78, spent Wednesday evening booting balls in the air to his goalies, demonstrating a volley shooting drill and using pushups to deter his boys soccer players from turning the ball over.
“I had seen a bunch of the (ConVal) kids play indoors and stuff — they were flying around, trying to save goals and aggressive and competitive,” Brewster said, “so, I thought it would be enjoyable to coach with them.”
A Nelson resident, Brewster previously coached ConVal, New Hampton School, Manchester West and Souhegan and more recently at the youth and club level.
Larry Pimental, ConVal’s former athletic director, asked Brewster if he’d be interested in coaching the Cougars, last year’s NHIAA Division II runners-up, when they saw each other at a grocery store last January. The two became friends while working at New Hampton together.
When Brewster was asked for some references during the hiring process, he had to do some thinking.
“I said, ‘They’ve all died or gone to South Carolina — we’ll never find them,’” Brewster said, “but I was able to track down a couple guys.”
Brewster, who played for the New England Tea Men and Boston Minutemen, among other teams, in the early days of U.S. pro soccer, officially got the ConVal job in June and has jammed as much into his practices as possible since.
ConVal opens the season on Tuesday (6 p.m.), when it hosts John Stark.
The game and players have changed over the years, but Brewster still coaches pretty much the same way he always has.
“He’s really passionate about the game, obviously,” Paxton Lothrop, one of ConVal’s 15 seniors, said of Brewster. “He’s just always intense. It pushes us to work harder, I would say.”
Lothrop, a midfielder/forward from Greenfield, and classmate Logan Montano, a back/midfielder from Hancock, like Brewster’s attacking style of play that focuses on utilizing the wings.
Players got fired up competing against each other during possession drills and a long scrimmage to end practice on Wednesday.
“High pressure — just a lot of intensity on the ball,” Lothrop said of Brewster’s system.
Brewster, who played soccer and hockey at Brown — he’s in the university’s athletics hall of fame — tries to show his players how to play the game the right way and reach their potential. He scheduled the Cougars to scrimmage Division I powers Bedford, Nashua South and defending D-I champ Bishop Guertin in the preseason to challenge and prepare them for high-pressure situations.
Brewster still loves to see his players improve. He envisions coaching for the foreseeable future.
“As long as it’s fun to be out there,” he’ll be on the sidelines, he said.
Influx at Exeter
Dan Curran has a good problem on his hands entering his eighth season as Exeter’s boys soccer coach.
Curran and the Blue Hawks are trying to build chemistry among three talented newcomers and their returners.
Senior center back Max Gunn, senior center midfielder Ryan Resch and junior outside midfielder Graysen Lachance will play for Exeter for the first time this fall.
Gunn and Lachance previously played for Seacoast United’s MLS Next Academy team.
Resch spent his first three seasons at St. Thomas Aquinas. He was an All-Division III First Team selection last year as he helped the Saints win the D-III title.
“I think we’re ahead of the typical schedule that we usually have (play wise) and the caliber of players that I’ve got has helped with that and having those guys come in,” Curran said.
Gunn is a consistent back with strong tackling ability, sneaky speed and a high soccer IQ. Resch has a tremendous work ethic and incredible vision. Lachance will provide experience and depth at a position that Curran had concerns about this offseason before he joined the program.
The trio reunites with senior captains Darren Grant, Jack Blyth and Reid LaBroad for the first time since their youth soccer days.
“It’s fun to see those relationships be struck back up again,” Curran said, “and fun to see these kids who played until they were 12 years old together and then they all kind of broke off and went their own way — and as high school juniors and seniors, they’re all coming back together.”
Final season for Hopkinton’s Zipke
Hopkinton boys coach Scott Zipke will lead the program for his 21st and final season this fall.
Over Zipke’s tenure, the Hawks have won seven Class M/Division III championships and are coming off a semifinal appearance last year.
St. Pierre nearing milestone
Tim St. Pierre, who is entering his seventh season coaching the Stevens girls team, is two wins away from the 300th of his career. The defending Division III champion Cardinals open their campaign by hosting Monadnock on Friday and then host Mascoma on Tuesday.
Top 10s
Each week, this column will include my rankings for the top 10 boys and girls soccer teams in the state. Below is the preseason edition.
Boys
1. Nashua South
2. Hanover
3. Bedford
4. Bishop Guertin
5. Exeter
6. Pinkerton
7. Merrimack
8. Londonderry
9. Campbell
10. ConVal
Girls
1. Winnacunnet
2. Pinkerton
3. Bedford
4. Exeter
5. Bishop Guertin
6. Goffstown
7. Hanover
8. Hollis-Brookline
9. Bow
10. Milford
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