The varsity boys soccer team won an away conference game against Adlai E. Stevenson High School on Tuesday, Sept. 14, which set the team’s tone for the rest of the season.

     Within the first three minutes of that game, Sophomore Frankie Jimenez scored a goal. Beating Stevenson with a score of 1-0, this goal ultimately gave the Mustangs their win.

     “It was a huge confidence boost for our team and gave us momentum for the rest of the game,” said Senior Carson Kowalski.

     Since this was a conference game, the win was crucial, but this game also had great significance because Stevenson had been undefeated so far in the season with a 7-0-2 record at the time.

     “The game against Stevenson was amazing. We upset them because at the time they were undefeated, and we handed them their first loss,” Kowalski said. 

     Head Coach Sebastian Falinski praised the team for working so hard to get that win.

     “It was a well-earned win for our boys, and it was a great feeling to give Stevenson their first loss of the season.” Falinski said.

     Although this was not a playoff game, Falinksi and many of the players agreed that the competitiveness and electricity in the air made the game feel very similar to one. 

     “The game against Stevenson had a playoff-type atmosphere to it,” Falinski said. “It was great to see our team come out and fight for the win. Many games in our conference and especially in the postseason may place us in very similar situations.” 

     The players attributed their victory to preparing for the game well, knowing that Stevenson’s team had been promoting the game among its student body and that a great number of their students would be attending.

     “We went into that game knowing it was going to be a battle. Right from the start we were pushing hard and playing like we always should be, which allowed us to score early in the game,” said Senior Nathan Espinosa, who was named the “Player of the Game.”

     Because of the win, the team took time to reflect on how the players could improve so that future games could have a similar or even better outcome.

     ”There weren’t many struggles we had to deal with; however, we could’ve won more 50/50 balls out of the air. Not winning those 50/50 balls really gave them opportunities to create a goal-scoring chance,” Espinosa said. “In the end, however, I believe we were the better team. We wanted it more, played harder, played tougher, and the result shows that.”

     Even when faced with obstacles, such as having better timing when intercepting the ball as it took to the air, the team continued to progress.

     “The boys’ season so far has been a good season. The boys have been working extremely hard, and we continue to move in the right direction,” Falinski said. “We have had to deal with some adversity this season as we have had individuals out because of COVID-19 protocols, injuries, etc., but the boys have really adapted and accepted the challenge. Our record does not represent our potential.”

     This victory helped the players gain more confidence to face other teams throughout the season. As of Oct. 16, the team held an overall seasonal record of 9-7-3 and were ranked seventh in conference, according to Maxpreps.com, a CBS Sports division that covers high school sports. 

     “One of the most memorable moments of the game had to be that final whistle,” Espinosa said. “That game gave us so much confidence moving forward. We know that we can go up against any team because of that game. We’ll go through anyone.”