WOODBURY — Every sports team has its ups and downs, but at this point the Nonnewaug boys and girls soccer teams don’t have downs. 

Soccer at NHS is in full swing, and both teams were undefeated through the first month of the season. Have the teams improved since last season, or is this just another normal season for NHS soccer? 

Girls soccer coach Nick Sheikh thinks that the team has improved in many ways.

“So far we have been able to put the ball in the back of the net frequently,” Sheikh said. “We had a tough preseason schedule to get us battle-tested and so far it has paid off.”

The efforts that Sheikh and the girls have put into this team have greatly paid off. Paige Brandt, a senior forward, thinks that the team is a lot better than last year. 

“I think we are stronger, faster, and we finish better. I mean, we have 45 goals already and we are not even halfway through the season,” Brandt said Sept. 28 — since then, that scoring total has increased to 63 in 10 games. 

As for the boys team, coach Toby Denman thinks that they have gotten better, too. 

According to Denman, the team has “become more well-rounded and less reliant on one person to shoulder the goal-scoring load.” 

Brendan Burke, a senior midfielder, agrees.

“I think our team has improved a lot,” Burke said. “Everyone has really stepped up this year from losing key players last year. We have a very solid team and everyone has been playing great.”

The boys team is 11-0 with five games left in the regular season, while the girls are 10-0 with six games remaining. The state tournaments start Nov. 8.