Farmington, CT — The Trumbull boys soccer sent a clear message that they a serious contender for the CIAC Class LL title Saturday at the CCC-FCIAC Challenge. The Eagles used a strong defensive effort and excellent control of the ball to defeat defending Class LL champion Farmington 1-0 on its home turf. “We wanted to see how we stacked up against these teams and now we have an answer, I suppose,” Trumbull coach Sil Vitiello said. “We are balanced group but the strength of our team is our back four. We have given up two goals in seven games played and that starts with the guys in the back.” That backline of junior Sean Nteziryayo and seniors Sean Racette, Seb Mesa and Michael Bagley has five clean sheets on their record as the Eagles have started the season 7-0. It is the best start for Trumbull since 2018 when the Eagles were 6-0-2 to start the season. Trumbull has never won a CIAC state title, making one finals appearance in 2011. The Eagles have had more success in the FCIAC where they reached four-straight championship games from 2016 to 2019, winning the title three times. This year’s team has 13 seniors on the roster and feels like a team that can make runs at the elusive Class LL championship. “We have attacking threats and defensive threats all over the field,” Senior midfielder Franco Milovanov said “Our fullbacks, our midfielders to our wingers, our striker up top or striker who comes off the bench, we have a lot of guys who are good at doing their jobs.” Milovanov, who was among the GameTimeCT 25 Players to Watch, is one of the Trumbull players who is very good at doing his job. Milovanov plays in the center of the midfield, shifting between an attacking midfielder and a holding midfielder as game flow and opponent dictates. “Franco has been excellent. He’s our playmaker going back between the attacking center-mid and holding center-mid,” Vitiello said. “We are pretty deep in that spot and we rotate guys in and out. He distributes the ball so well, he talks and keeps everything organized. He’s that playmaking central midfielder that sees the field as well as anybody.” With the defense locking down the back, Milovanov and the other midfielders distributing the ball in the middle, junior striker Owen Bull has been given a plethora of scoring chances up top and he has made the most of it. Through the first seven games, Bull scored nine of Trumbull’s 15 goals. “Owen has a unique skill set but it’s not just his skill, it is his size, his speed and his intelligence out there,” Vitiello said. “He knows how to use his big frame and he knows where to be. Teams try to take him away and we need other players to step up and guys have been doing that for us. Owen is just a classic striker that knows how to find gaps in the defense and knows how to find time and space for himself. His strength is his one-on-one ability in tight spots and beating guys inside that little area in front of the penalty area. He is a very good finisher and he is clinical when he gets a chance.” Bull is quick to explain that his goal scoring is simply a product of what he considers the strongest part of the team. “The defense starts everything,” Bull said. “They are playing great with only two goals conceded so far. That backline is amazing and the biggest reason why we are winning.” With the defense keeping the other team down, the offense has scored 15 goals in 7 games. Standing out among the Eagles, Bull and Milovanov have built a solid rapport the past two seasons and are playing especially well off each. “Franco is great to have in the midfield,” Bull said. “He will play passes without even looking because he knows where everyone is. He is great at connecting everyone and he’s a great player to play with. Playing with him last year too, this year we have a really great connection. We have a bunch of great guys and everyone on the team is working and contributing. Everyone is doing their part and we are winning games.” Both Milovanov and Bull reiterated that it takes 11 plus to have the type of success the team is seeking. “A lot of the success we are having is because we have confidence in each other,” Milovanov said. “With every game there is a bit more confidence that they can get the ball to me, I don’t have to recover for them and that second ball will be won and that will help me so I can get up the field. It’s a lot of trust. We all know each other’s skill sets by this point. Even the subs off the bench come in and impact the game in special ways which helps us even more keep other teams on their toes.” [email protected]; @EricsonSports https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/boys-soccer/article/Trumbull-boys-soccer-hopes-7-0-start-just-the-17470402.php#taboola-1