Week of October 21st Varsity The team started the week with a Regional Semifinal match against Glenbard South on Tuesday. The game went back and forth for the first twenty minutes before we were able to take the lead. Josh Enriquez flicked a ball to Ethan Ebreo who played a great long ball to Jimmy Martin. Jimmy was able to get possession and slipped a ball behind the defense for Jake Lu to finish. We added to our lead later in the half when Jimmy played a ball into Sava Nikolic to give us a 2-0 lead at halftime. We controlled the entirety of the second half. Jimmy added a goal from a great pass from Jake and Alex Damis scored our fourth goal after beating a defender and hitting a shot into the bottom corner. Aiden LaPat stopped anything that came towards him in goal. Brody Hallman and Justas Gadisauskas played very well defensively to limit any chances by Glenbard South. The team had an overall great game and won 4-0.
The team then took on Wheaton Academy in the Regional Final. Aiden LaPat made a great save early in the game from a short range shot. The game was fairly even early on and a heads up play by Jake helped us take the lead. After a foul, he quickly put the ball down and played a through ball to Jimmy who outran the defenders and finished the chance. We created a few more chances throughout the half through Jimmy, Jake, Ethan, and Diego Canas. We went into halftime with a 1-0 lead. The game continued to be fairly even in the second half with us creating a few more chances, but not able to beat the goalkeeper. Wheaton Academy was able to score to make the game 1-1. Sava missed just wide with a few seconds left in regulation and we ended up going to overtime. Diego started overtime by scoring a great goal under a minute into the first overtime. We kept Wheaton Academy scoreless through the first overtime and had a few chances to add another goal throughout both overtime periods. Unfortunately, Wheaton Academy tied the game with under 2 minutes left and then defeated us 3-0 in penalty kicks. It was a disappointing way to end the season, but we are very proud of the performance that the team displayed this year and can’t thank the players enough for their hard work and dedication throughout the season.
Week of October 14th
Varsity On Tuesday, the team traveled to Proviso East for their last conference game of the season. We started the game well and created a few chances early on. Proviso East was able to take the lead off of a cross and then added a free kick goal which found us down 2-0 at halftime. The team came out flying in the second half and cut into the lead when Jimmy Martin converted a penalty kick after Diego Canas drew a foul in the box. Jimmy then leveled the game when a free kick from Ethan Ebreo found its way onto Jimmy’s left foot at the top of the box and he scored into the top corner of the goal. We scored a third goal in the first 15 minutes of the half when Ethan tried to find Diego on a free kick, a Proviso East defender got a touch on it and the ball fell for Sava Nikolic to bury into the back of the net. After taking a 3-2 lead, Brody Hallman, Justas Gadisauskas, Aaron Mendoza-Lopez, Chris Nakamura, and Yazeed Almatarneh gave Proviso East very little room to attack. The game ended with a 3-2 win.
The team took on University HS to wrap up the regular season. University was very organized defensively and made it difficult throughout the first half to create many chances. Aaron, Ethan, Jimmy, and Sava linked up to create a few chances that weren’t finished and we found ourselves tied 0-0 at halftime. We took the lead in the second half when Ethan drilled a ball passed the University goalkeeper from a pass from Aaron. This goal started to open up the game a little more to create chances. We added to the lead when Jimmy won the ball in the midfield, dribbled at the defenders, and scored top corner. Aiden LaPat made some great saves throughout the game leading us to a shutout in our final game of the regular season. The team starts regional play next week with a game against Glenbard South.
JV 10/15 - Hinsdale South 1 Proviso East 2 Proviso East started the match strong, scoring two early goals in the first half, putting Hinsdale South behind Despite the early setback, South was able to settle into the game and began to dominate possession. Their best chance came when Floriano Garro threaded a perfect through ball to Murat Kose, who found himself one-on-one with the Proviso East goalkeeper. However, the keeper made a crucial save to deny the breakaway opportunity.
As the first half ended, Hinsdale South carried the momentum into the second half, trying to get on the scoreboard. South showed resilience in the second half, continuing the momentum they built late in the first half. Early on, Damian Lopez had a great chance, but Proviso East’s goalkeeper came up with another big save. South continued to press for a breakthrough, with Dominik Tisonczyk slipping a perfect through pass to Luke Nastalli on a breakaway, but his shot narrowly missed wide.
South's persistence paid off when Damian Lopez showed great dribbling skills inside the box and was brought down, earning a penalty kick. Lopez converted, putting Hinsdale South on the scoreboard. With the score at 2-1, South continued to push for an equalizer. Cole Dominguez made a great run out wide, beating his defender and delivering a dangerous cross into the box. Dominik Tisonczyk was able to get on the end of it, but a Proviso defender blocked it.
They’ll look to finish their season in their upcoming match against University in the city.
10/16 - Hinsdale South 0 University 0 Hinsdale South traveled to University High School for their final game of the season, closing it out with a hard-fought 0-0 draw in a closely matched contest. Both teams struggled to create clear chances in the first half, but defensively, the Hornets stood strong. Nolan Lopez, Charlie Oakes, Jacob Arflack, and Mario Lagunas were key in keeping University off the scoreboard, while goalkeeper Lazar Martic kept the shutout.
South came out with momentum in the second half, pushing for a goal. The best chance came late into the game when Fares Kachlan picked up a cleared ball just outside the box and took a powerful shot that slammed off the crossbar, narrowly missing the game's breakthrough goal. Despite the effort, the match remained scoreless, and the Hornets ended their season with a well-earned draw.
I am extremely proud of the team's effort and growth throughout the entire season. South Pride!
Freshman On Monday, the Hornets hosted the DGN Trojans. Right away the Hornets were able to get forward and create some scoring chances. In response, the Trojans were able to get the ball played behind the Hornet defense. A Trojan forward had a scoring opportunity but Adriel Vazquez was able to stop his attempt. Both sides ended the half scoreless. The second half began and the Hornets were adding pressure right away. A few minutes later, Sava received the ball from a pass made by midfielder Jose Salazar. Sava was able to dribble behind the Trojan defense and shoot the ball past the goalkeeper, scoring the first goal of the game. It only took 5 minutes for Sava to find the ball back at his feet. Rami Rayal played a nice ball over the Trojan midfield to get the ball to Sava. Sava was able to turn and take a shot from the top of the box. The ball flies behind the Trojan goalkeeper and into the net, Hornets up 2-0. The Hornets continued to dominate, creating more chances for themselves. Later in the half, Midfielder Rami Rayal was able to steal the ball from a Trojan defender, dribble past another defender and take a chance on goal. His shot traveled low and made its way under the keeper into the net. The Hornets led 3-0. Unfortunately, the Trojans were able to create one last chance in the final 5 minutes and get on the board. The game concludes with Hornets winning, 3-1.
On Wednesday, the Hornets hosted the Lions of Lyons Township for their final game of the season. The Hornets gave it their best effort. Chances were created by the Hornet midfielders and forwards but were unable to find any success. The Lions were on top of their game and were able to create chances going forward, finding the back of the net a few times. The Hornets conclude their season with an unfortunate result by falling to the Lions, 0-8. A big thank you to everyone who came out and supported the Hornet soccer players!
Week of October 7th
Varsity The team started the week with a game against DGS. Ethan Ebreo used a free kick to set up Jimmy Martin for an early opportunity to take the lead which ended up being deflected out for a corner kick. Brody Hallman and Justas Gadisauskas organized the defense and limited DGS scoring chances throughout the first half. Matt Martin, Josh Enriquez, and Ben Bartninkas held the ball well in the midfield throughout the half. The team found themselves down 1-0 at halftime, but evened the game about 10 minutes into the second half when Brody played a ball to Jimmy who beat his defender and then beat the goalkeeper. We had a few other chances to score throughout the second half that we were unable to finish. Radek Gorz-Capistran played really well in goal and made some great saves throughout the entirety of the game, but especially in the second half. The team unfortunately lost 2-1 in a tight game.
The team then traveled to Addison Trail on Thursday night for another conference matchup. The team struggled throughout the evening and battled through some injuries. Jimmy and Sava Nikolic had a couple of chances to score early that we were unable to convert. Addison Trail took the lead about 15 minutes into the game and then added a second goal from a corner a few minutes later. The team continued to compete, but ultimately didn’t have a great performance and fell 7-0. We look forward to moving on from this game as we head into the final week of the regular season.
JV 10/8 - Hinsdale South 0 vs. Downers Grove South 7 Hinsdale South faced a talented Downers Grove South squad, with the match controlled by the Downers Grove South. Lazar Martic and the Hornets’ back line were under constant pressure as Downers Grove South’s dangerous attack kept them on their heels.
In the first half, Hinsdale South had a couple of chances. Aris Papageorge created an opportunity by pressing Downers Grove South’s center back, stealing the ball, and finding himself one-on-one with the keeper, but the keeper made a big save. Later in the half, a corner kick from Cole Dominguez found Byram, but his header went wide.
Despite these opportunities, Downers Grove South maintained control and capitalized on their chances, eventually netting seven unanswered goals. The Hornets will look to bounce back as they continue their tough schedule, traveling to Addison Trail on Thursday.
10/10 - Hinsdale South JV 0 vs. Addison Trail High School 6 In a tough matchup, Hinsdale South JV fell to Addison Trail in a 6-0 defeat. Addison Trail came out strong, netting two early goals that set the tone for the match. Hinsdale South had a key chance to cut the lead in half when Damian Lopez made an impressive run into the penalty area, drawing a foul and earning a penalty kick. Unfortunately, Damian’ s shot went wide, and Addison Trail capitalized by scoring two more goals before halftime, bringing the score to 4-0 into the half.
Hinsdale South regrouped in the second half, with the midfield trio of Fares Kachlan, Floriano Garro, and Cole Dominguez leading the charge in an effort to get back into the game. South pushed forward and earned a corner kick taken by Damian, but Addison Trail’s defense cleared the danger. Despite Hinsdale South’s best efforts, Addison Trail added two more goals, sealing the 6-0 result.
Freshman On Monday, the team traveled to Proviso West to take on the Panthers. The Hornets were on top of the Panthers right from the kickoff. Forwards Khaled Nassif and Ashton Floyd were having an immediate impact. The Hornets were able to string together some passes to get the ball up the field. Jose Salazar received the ball and made a pass out wide to Rami Rayal. A cross from Rami Rayal took a huge deflection and went straight into the Panther goal. The Hornets went up 1-0 and were hungry for more. A few minutes later, Khaled Nassif received the ball on top of the box after a bad clearance by the Panther defense. He took one touch to set up his shot that found the back of the net, scoring his first goal of the season and put the Hornets up 2-0. The second half was much like the first. The Hornets were dominating. Halfway through the second half, the ball was kicked into the Panther box. Midfielder Kosta Tsigolis was in the right place at the right time as the ball was cleared into his shin and deflected into the net. Kosta gets his first goal and the Hornets are up 3-0. Not long after the restart, defender Bayram Bilizar stood over the ball for a free kick roughly 30 yards out. The ball travels over the wall and under the keeper's arms for another Horner goal. The Panthers were able to spoil Hornet keeper Adrial Vazquez’s clean sheet by scoring in the last minute of the game. Hornets defeat the Panthers, 4-1.
On Wednesday, the Hornets took on the Red Devils over at Hinsdale Central. A tough battle by both sides. The Hornet forwards had a few chances on goal but were unable to find any success. The Hornet defense, led by captain Bayram Bilazer was solid throughout the game. If the Red Devils found their way through, goalkeeper Adriel Vazquez was able to make a save and keep Central scoreless. The even fight from both sides resulted in a tie game, 0-0. The Hornets move into their final week of the season where they take on Downers Grove North and Lyons Township.
Week of September 30th
Varsity The team got the week started with a 9-1 conference win against Willowbrook. The team came out flying in the first half and took the lead from a through ball from Jake Lu to Jimmy Martin. Jake would tap home a rebound from a Ben Bartninkas shot to score the second goal of the game. Sava Nikolic added a goal after taking advantage of a Willowbrook mistake. Alex Damis later played a great ball into Jake Lu who added his second goal of the day and Ethan Ebreo scored a great free kick goal to give us a 5-0 lead at halftime. The team continued to add to the scoreline right away in the second half when Jimmy beat the Willowbrook defenders down the right side and got a slight deflection off of one of them to score his second of the game. Sava would add a second a few minutes later when Jake played him a through ball. Jake and Jimmy would both end the game with three goals a piece after Jake converted a penalty kick and also set up Jimmy with another great through ball. Defensively, Brody Hallman, Justas Gadisauskas, Aaron Mendoza-Lopez, and Chris Nakamura gave Willowbrook very few chances to score. It was a strong overall performance and everyone on the team contributed to the victory.
The team took on a good Hinsdale Central team on Thursday night. We made a few defensive mistakes early in the game which put us behind 2-0 early on. The team started to work itself into the game in the last 20 minutes of the first half and created a few chances through Jake, Jimmy, and Sava. Matt Martin and Josh Enriquez kept possession of the ball well and allowed us to look for more opportunities going forward. The team continued to push throughout the second half and started to take control of the game. Jimmy, Jake, Sava, and Ethan put Central’s defenders and goalkeeper under pressure, but we were unable to find the back of the net and ultimately lost 3-0.
The team traveled to St Laurence on Saturday to take on another strong team. After falling behind 1-0, a great sequence of play found Jimmy connecting with Sava to score and even the game at 1-1. Jimmy then stepped into goal with a few seconds left in the first half and saved a penalty kick which kept the game tied at halftime. The game was back and forth throughout the second half with us creating a bunch of quality chances to score. Jimmy evened the game on a breakaway at 2-2 with about 20 minutes left in the half. Some injuries led to players needing to step into the backline and we ended up losing the game 5-2. The team looks to bounce back next week with conference games against Downers Grove South and Addison Trail.
JV 10/1 - Hinsdale South 0 Willowbrook 1 In a back-and-forth contest, Hinsdale South’s JV soccer team faced off against Willowbrook in a game full of action. The first half saw Hinsdale South create some chances, the best coming from Jacob Arflack's free kick midway through. Arflack’s strike was saved by Willowbrook’s goalkeeper. With five minutes remaining in the half, Willowbrook nearly took the lead, but Lazar Martic came up big, denying a breakaway and keeping the game scoreless at halftime.
The second half saw Willowbrook come out strong, and they found the breakthrough goal just two minutes in, taking a 1-0 lead. Despite the setback, Hinsdale South’s midfield trio of Dominik Tisonczyk, Cole Dominguez, and Floriano Garro began to string together moments of strong team soccer.
As the game went on, Willowbrook continued to test the defense, but Lazar once again made a crucial save on another breakaway chance, keeping it within one goal differential. Hinsdale South continued to press forward in search of an equalizer, but despite their efforts, they were unable to find the back of the net before the final whistle.
The match ended with a 1-0 defeat.
10/3 - Hinsdale South 0 Hinsdale Central 4 Hinsdale South faced a strong Hinsdale Central opponent. The game started with South showing holding Central for the first part of the half. The defensive effort (Jacob Arflack, Nolan Lopez, Charles Oakes and Cristian) kept the game balanced as South tried their best to compete.
Central’s pressure broke through, leading to their first goal. From that point on, Central found their rhythm, taking advantage of their opportunities and scoring a total of four goals by the end of the game. Despite the tough result, Hinsdale South fought hard throughout, against a talented Central side.
10/5 - Hinsdale South 0 St. Laurence 7 Hinsdale South JV faced a tough challenge against a strong St. Laurence team, falling 0-7. Despite the scoreline, South’s players tried to compete throughout the match. Goalkeeper Lazar Martic had to make several crucial saves to keep the game from a bigger scoreline.
South’s Players, Damian Lopez, Cole Dominguez, Fares Kachlan, and Floriano Garro had great moments, showing glimpses of strong play despite the pressure from St. Laurence. However, St. Laurence's defense was difficult to break.
Hinsdale South will look to regroup as they continue their challenging schedule next week with a matchup against Downers Grove South on Tuesday. Freshman On Monday, the team traveled to Proviso Ease to take on the Pirates. The game started slow but the intensity began to pick up towards the end of the first half after a dangerous scoring chance created by Tomasz Majercyk. Tomasz received a nice pass that was played through and behind the Pirate defense from his teammate. The shot went just over the crossbar but a scoring opportunity was needed in order to get the Hornets rolling. The Hornets end the first half trailing 0-1. The second half began and the Hornets were continuing to get behind the Pirate defense but could not create any real scoring chances. Forwards Khaled Nassif and Elijah Shabazz recorded a few shots on goal as well. Later in the half, a solo run made by Rami Rayal and a ball passed from Jose Salazar led to the Hornets first goal of the game as Rami placed one shot past the Pirate goalkeeper and into the far corner. Unfortunately, the Pirates were able to connect some passes and look dangerous going forward as the Hornets legs started to get heavy. The Pirates put a few behind the Hornet goalline and the Hornets were defeated by the with a score of 1-4.
On Wednesday, the Hornets traveled to Addison Trail to take on the Blazers. A tough game from both sides. The Hornets seemed to have some extra fire in them, still in search of their first victory. The team created some dangerous opportunities in the first half. Notable chances were created by Ashton Floyd and Elijah Shabazz. Both players were unable to find success in their shots. The Blazers responded to the Hornet scoring chances and were able to capitalize on their own which led to the Hornets trailing 0-3 at half. The Hornets played a much better second half holding the Blazers scoreless until the final 2 minutes of the game. Hornet defenders, Diego Miranda, Bayram Bilazer, Daniel Camacho, and Andre Khasherdene played a great second half. The Hornets are still just unable to get their final pieces put together to score goals and the Blazers were able to put 2 more in the goal at the very end of the game. The Hornets were defeated with a final score of 0-5. The Hornets move into next week taking on Proviso West and Hinsdale Central.
Week of September 23rd
Varsity The team started the week at home on Tuesday against a top ranked Leyden team. We played well throughout the first half possessing the ball through the midfield with Josh Enriquez and Matt Martin. Brody Hallman and Ben Bartninkas kept the team organized defensively and limited Leyden’s opportunities to score. Jimmy Martin and Jake Lu created a few scoring chances that we weren’t able to convert. We found ourselves down 1-0 at halftime and continued to battle throughout the second half. Aiden LaPat made some great saves to keep the team in the game. DIego Canas hit the post midway through the half and Jimmy continued to create chances. The team battled hard throughout and ultimately lost 3-0.
On Thursday night we had an opportunity to honor our seniors with Senior Night against Nazareth. We want to thank the seniors for their hard work and dedication over the past four years. We want to congratulate Aiden LaPat, Justas Gadisauskas, Brody Hallman, Ben Bartninkas, Richie Pikula, Dilan Patel, Jad Qaddoura, Jimmy Martin, Braedon Atkinson, John Kadolph, and Faris Pena. The team put on a show for the seniors and put a lot of pressure on Nazareth’s backline right away. The team found itself up 2-0 at halftime following two goals from Jake Lu with the second assisted by Ethan Ebreo. The team continued to create opportunities throughout the second half and put the game out of reach. Jimmy Martin scored three second half goals one which was assisted by Jake and another from the penalty spot after Matt Martin was fouled in the box. Sava Nikolic reacted quickly on a rebound from a shot by Jake to get on the scoresheet. The combination of Aiden LaPat and Radek Gorz-Capistran earned a shutout with all of the defenders giving Nazareth almost no opportunities in our defensive third of the field. The team came out with a strong performance and a 6-0 win.
JV Tuesday, September 24th - Hinsdale South 0 Leyden 8 Hinsdale South faced a tough challenge against a talented Leyden Eagles team, ultimately falling 8-0 in a match that saw the Eagles dominate from the start. Leyden came out flying with relentless pressure, forcing Hinsdale South to spend much of the game on defense. Lazar Martic had many saves in goal.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Hinsdale South showed grit and determination, doing their best to compete. Hinsdale South looks to bounce back and build on their effort against Nazareth on Thursday.
Thursday, September 26th - Hinsdale South 0 Nazareth 0 Hinsdale South JV came out strong in their match against Nazareth Academy, dominating possession and spending the majority of the first half in their opponent’s half. Despite several chances, South was unable to break through Nazareth's defense. Lazar Martic was strong in goal, supported by his solid backline that kept Nazareth out of their half.
In the second half, South continued to push forward, searching for a way to break the deadlock. The attacking trio of Mario Lagunas, Aris Papageorge, and Damian Lopez worked to get on the scoreboard, but Nazareth’s defense and goalkeeper remained solid, denying every attempt.
After a hard-fought match on both ends, neither team could find the back of the net, and the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
Saturday, September 28th - Hinsdale South 1 Westmont 2 In a game that had everyone on the edge of their seats, Hinsdale South JV faced off against Westmont High School in a hard-fought battle that could have gone either way. The match saw exciting moments for both teams, resulting in a close finish.
The Hornets had to overcome a challenge, conceding an unfortunate own goal. Westmont also scored a penalty kick, putting Hinsdale South in a tough spot.
Despite the setbacks, Hinsdale South didn't back down. They were awarded a penalty kick, and Aris Papageorge stepped up confidently, burying the ball into the net. Hinsdale South had another penalty kick that was saved.
Hinsdale South continued to push but Westmont held on for the win.
Freshman On Monday, the team traveled to Downers Grove South to take on the Mustangs. The Hornets started the game off strong. The team was able to create a few scoring chances going forward but were unable to capitalize. Momentum towards the beginning of the first half turned towards the Mustangs and they were able to create some issues for the Hornets. The Mustangs took the opportunity and were able to score. The Hornets were down 0-1 at half. The second half started much like the first with the Hornets getting into the attack and looking dangerous. A few chances were created by Tomasz Majerczyk, Ashton Floyd and Rami Rayal but they were unable to score. Adriel Vazquez had a stand-out performance in goal, going against the windy elements. Unfortunately the Hornets were unable to put their scoring chances away and were defeated by the Mustangs, 0-4.
On Wednesday, the Hornets hosted the Dukes from York High School. The Hornets were dominating since the start of the game. Everyone on the field was connecting passes and working together to get the ball up the field. Midfielders Jose Salazar and Mateo Cordova were providing examples of this as they were moving up the field offensively. In addition, defenders Diego Miranda and Daniel Camacho were holding down the fort in the back line. Towards the end of the first half, the Dukes were able to get forward, connect some passes, and slip one behind the Hornet keeper for the first goal of the game. The Hornets enter the second half trailing by one looking to get on the board. It did not help the Hornet team when the Dukes quickly added another to the scoreboard after a scrappy goal from a bouncing ball after a corner kick in the 6 yard box. The Hornets were now down 0-2 but that did not stop forward Ashton Floyd. Later in the half, Ashton ran for the ball after it was played through by a Hornet Midfielder. He outruns 2 York defenders and is able to slip the ball past the Duke’s goalkeeper for his first goal of the season. Momentum was on the Hornet side for a few minutes until the Dukes were able to score another 2 goals on the Hornets before the final whistle. Hornets lose to the Dukes, 1-4. The Hornets will take on Proviso East and Addison Trail next week.
Week of September 16th
Varsity The team started the week with a conference matchup against an always tough Morton squad. Brody Hallman, Justas Gadisauskas, Aaron Mendoza-Lopez, Chris Nakamura, and Yazeed Almatarneh made up the backline which organized the defense and made it difficult for Morton to create many scoring chances. Aiden LaPat made a penalty kick save with just over a minute left in the first half to keep the score tied 0-0. Ayman Najjar was able to get a flick on a cross from Yazeed with 4 seconds left in the first half to give us a 1-0 lead at halftime. The second half was back and forth with Morton leveling the game at 1-1 after regulation. Morton then went on to score in the first overtime and the team lost 2-1 against a very strong opponent.
The team rebounded on Thursday night with a home game against Elmwood Park. Jimmy Martin had an incredible individual performance scoring all five of the team's goals including four in the first half to give us a 4-0 halftime lead. Jake Lu picked up three assists on the first three goals of the game. Jimmy and Jake caused problems for the Elmwood Park backline throughout the entire game. Matt Martin and Josh Enriquez controlled the midfield and limited any counter attacking opportunities from Elmwood Park. The team picked up a strong 5-2 win.
The team ended the week with a home game on Saturday against a well organized Providence Catholic opponent. The team got on the board first when Diego Canas played a ball over the top, Jimmy got a touch behind his defender before laying a pass off for Jake to put into an empty net. Jimmy then scored to give us a 2-0 lead beating his defender on the end line and scoring at the near post. Brody Hallman carried the ball into midfield where he laid it off to Jake who attacked a few defenders and passed to Diego who gave us a 3-0 lead at halftime. Providence Catholic got back into the game with a PK to cut the lead to 3-1 in the second half where it remained for much of the half until Jimmy scored his second goal of the game. Ethan Ebreo made a great play on the sideline, Jimmy flicked the ball over a defender and then hit a 30 yard volley surrounded by three defenders to put the game away and pick up a 4-1 win.
JV 9/17 - Hinsdale South 0 Morton 7 The Hornets faced off against a very strong Morton Mustangs team. In the first half, the Hornets' backline of Jacob Arflack, Charles Oakes, Cristian Eulogio, Mario Lagunas, Juan Amaro, and Nolan Lopez, along with several key saves from goalkeeper Lazar Martic, kept the Mustangs scoreless for nearly 20 minutes. However, Morton found the back of the net twice just before halftime, taking a 2-0 lead.
In the second half, the Hornets continued to battle, with Cole Dominguez, Floriano Garro, Fares Kachlan, and Dominik Tisonczyk stepping up to challenge the Mustang offense. Despite Hinsdale South's efforts, the Mustangs continued to control the game, adding five more goals. The final score South 0 Mustangs 7.
9/21 - Hinsdale South 1 Providence Catholic 1 Hinsdale South showcased a fantastic first-half performance with all players contributing to a great team effort. The game saw action on both ends of the field, but a freekick off a foul led to the goal scored: Jacob Arflack's free kick from distance put the Hornets up 1-0.
Cole Lopez and Mario Lagunas kept the pressure on Providence’s back line, trying to extend the lead. Meanwhile, the defense, led by Lazar Martic, held firm, keeping the opposition scoreless.
The second half was a battle with both teams creating chances. Providence began to press forward, but the Hornets’ defense continued to stand strong. Damian Lopez and Kade Uddin were particularly dangerous on the wings, delivering quality crosses and creating scoring opportunities, but unfortunately, none were converted.
Late in the game, Providence's persistence paid off as they found the equalizing goal. Despite their best efforts, the Hornets couldn't secure the winning goal, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Freshman On Monday, the Hornets traveled to Morton to take on the Mustangs. The team put up a great fight but unfortunately fell short losing 0-9. The Hornets are looking to bounce back this Wednesday when they take on Leyden.
On Wednesday, the freshman team hosted the Leyden Eagles. The Hornets were looking dangerous during the first half. Forwards Ashton Floyd and Khaled Nassif were creating problems for the Eagles defense. Multiple shots on target were taken by the two. Forward progress would not be possible without the support from Midfielders Jose Salazar and Frank Tortorich. Unfortunately, the Hornets were not able to get the ball across the line and the half ended scoreless. The second half started just like the first, the Hornets were looking dangerous but couldn’t get the ball across the goal line. Mateo Cordova, Rami Rayal, and Kosta Tsigolis also couldn’t seem to get their shots to go past the Eagle’s goalkeeper. A very unlucky game and after a tough battle, the Hornets were not able to hold off the Eagles and lost, 0-1.
On Thursday, the Hornets hosted the Elmwood Park Tigers. Another tough battle by the Hornets, especially after having a game the day before. The Hornets started off slow but began to pick up speed after a few key saves from Hornet goalie, Adriel Vazquez. Defender Bayram Bilazer also got the team going with some encouragement. The Hornets had a few chances in front of the Tiger goal, Ashton Floyd had a shot that couldn’t get past the goalie. Mateo Cordova and Tomasz Majerczyk also added to the Hornet attack by creating some chances by passing the ball behind the Tiger defense to forwards Elijah Shabazz and Jelani McDowell. At the end of the game, the Hornets were unable to put one in and fell short to the Tigers, 0-2. The Hornets move into next week taking on Downers Grove South and York.
Week of September 9th
Varsity The team had a busy week with three away games starting on Monday against Argo. Some great ball movement led to Josh Enriquez slotting a ball into Jimmy Martin for a goal. Jimmy then added a second goal a few minutes later when he had a quick interchange with Jake Lu. Jake also added a goal in the first half when he found himself on the end of a long ball from Matt Martin, took on a few defenders and had a nice finish. Ethan Ebreo got himself on the scoresheet when a ball bounced out to him and he drilled it near post to give us a 4-1 lead at halftime. A few defensive lapses let Argo get back into the game and tie it at 4-4. Yazeed Almatarneh headed home a corner from Ethan with about 8 minutes left in the game. Argo was able to draw level again with a few minutes left which led to a 5-5 tie in a back and forth game.
The team then traveled to take on Ridgewood on Thursday night. The team fell behind 1-0 and were able to get ourselves back into the game when Ethan, Josh, and Jake had some great combination play which led to a goal by Jake. Ethan added an assist a few minutes later when his ball over the top found its way onto Jimmy’s foot who put it over the top of the goalkeeper to give us a 2-1 lead. Jake finished off a pass from Jimmy to give us a 3-1 lead going into halftime. Ridgewood drew level in the second half and Jimmy put the game away when he converted a penalty kick to give us a 4-3 lead. The defense stayed strong as Ridgewood pushed at the end and Aiden LaPat kept the ball in front of him which led to a tough 4-3 win.
The team got off to a fast start on Saturday when we played Glenbard South. Jimmy scored twice in the first 8 minutes to take control of the game. The first came from a Ben Bartninkas quick restart and the second was a great team goal that moved the ball from Jimmy to Diego Canas to Jake who crossed to Jimmy for the finish. Jake added a third goal just before halftime when he was fouled in the box and converted the penalty kick. He also added a quick goal in the second half when Josh played him a pass that he hit first time into the top corner. Jimmy then added his third goal of the game when Braedon Atkinson made a great challenge in the midfield, the ball found its way onto Jimmy’s foot who scored from distance. We were very strong defensively throughout the entirety of the game leading to a 5-0 shutout win. Yazeed, Braedon, Ben, Justas Gadisauskas, Brody Hallman, John Kadolph, and Chris Nakamura played combined defensively for the shutout. Aiden LaPat and Radek Gorz-Capistran made a few saves each in goal to keep Glenbard South off the board.
JV Monday 9/9 - Hinsdale South @ Argo Hinsdale South 0 Argo 3 Hinsdale South JV kicked off their season with a tough match against a strong Argo squad. The first half proved challenging for South, with some defensive missteps allowing Argo to capitalize and score three early goals.
However, South regrouped at halftime and came out in the second half with renewed energy and organization. With 17 minutes remaining, Aris Papageorge broke free on a breakaway, but the Argo goalkeeper made an excellent save to deny South's first real scoring opportunity. Shortly after, Cole Dominguez applied high pressure and intercepted a pass at the top of the box, only to see his shot narrowly miss the goal.
South continued to press and were able to get a corner with 12 minutes left. Aris delivered a perfect corner kick into the box. Despite a scramble from several South players, Argo managed to clear the ball. The defense, led by Mario Lagunas, Nolan Lopez, Jacob Arflack, Cristian Eulogio, and Charles Oakes, was rock solid in the second half, holding Argo scoreless. Goalkeeper Lazar Martic was the standout player of the match, making a total of eight saves and keeping South competitive until the final whistle.
Hinsdale South will look to build on their second-half performance as they take on Ridgewood on the road in their next match at 4:30 p.m.
9/12 - Hinsdale South @ Ridgewood Hinsdale South 0 Ridgewood 2 Hinsdale South JV faced off against Ridgewood High School, battling through a challenging match after a long bus ride and a short warm-up. The first half started slow for the Hornets, but they began to find their footing as the half progressed. With 8 minutes left, South earned a corner kick, and Cole Dominguez sent a well-placed cross to the near post, where Fares Kochlan connected on a volley, only to be denied by a fantastic save from the Ridgewood keeper. Just minutes later, a foul gave Jacob Arflack the chance to take a free kick, but once again, the Ridgewood goalie made a strong save. Cole had a close-range opportunity as well, but the keeper remained impenetrable. Lazar Martic closed out the half with an incredible 1v1 save, keeping the score 0-0.
In the second half, Ridgewood capitalized on a breakaway, slotting the ball past Lazar to take a 1-0 lead. Despite this setback, the Hornets kept fighting. With 22 minutes left, Lazar came up huge again, denying another Ridgewood breakaway. South had several promising chances, including a breakaway from Floriano Garro with 20 minutes to go, but the Ridgewood goalkeeper continued to stand tall. Two minutes later, Cole found himself on the end of a breakaway ball from Jacob, but once again, the Rebels’ keeper stopped the attack. Moments later, Ridgewood extended their lead to 2-0 with a header off a counterattack cross.
The Hornets ramped up the pressure in the final stages, with Damian Lopez striking the crossbar with 13 minutes remaining. Mario Lagunas had a 1v1 opportunity after receiving a beautiful through ball, but Ridgewood’s keeper was still unbeatable. Cole’s footwork set up another chance, resulting in a rebound shot for Floriano, but the keeper made yet another big save. With 4 minutes left, Cole played a ball into Mario, who again faced the keeper 1v1, but the Rebels’ defense held strong. South’s final chance came in the last 2 minutes when Cole crossed to Damian, whose shot went wide.
Despite the 2-0 loss, the Hornets put up a relentless fight, with numerous chances that just couldn’t find the back of the net. Defenders Jacob, Juan Amaro, Nolan Lopez, and Charles Oakes, along with Lazar’s 9 saves, kept the game close. It was a great team performance, full of chances, but the Hornets fell short.
9/14 - Hinsdale South @ Glenbard South Hinsdale South JV Soccer Ties Glenbard South in Hard-Fought 1-1 Battle In a closely contested match, the Hinsdale South JV soccer team earned a 1-1 draw against Glenbard South on the road. The first half saw little action from both sides, with the Hornets’ backline of Jacob Arflack , Charles Oakes, Cristian Eulogio, Mario Lagunas, and Nolan Lopez holding firm. Glenbard South’s best chance came midway through the half when a shot rattled the crossbar. Hinsdale South responded with a free kick, leading to a corner after a solid effort from Damian Lopez, but they couldn’t get on the end of the cross.
The second half started with Glenbard South stepped up the pressure, leading to a breakaway goal after a ball over the top broke through the Hornets’ defense. Moments later, Glenbard had another opportunity to extend their lead, but a crucial save by Lazar Martic and a quick clearance from Fares Kachlan kept the score at 1-0.
With 21 minutes remaining, Damian put Hinsdale South on the scoreboard, winning the ball near midfield and striking a 40-yard shot that sailed over the keeper’s head, leveling the match at 1-1. The final minutes saw back-and-forth action, but neither side could find a goal. Damian had a chance to add to the score with three minutes left, but his shot from the top of the box went just wide.
The Hornets fought hard to secure the draw, bringing their season record to 0-1-2. Freshman The freshman team had a busy schedule this week. On Monday, the Hornets traveled to Ackerman Sports Complex to play against the Glenbard West Hilltoppers. Unfortunately, the Hornets lost to the Hilltoppers with a final score of 1-7. It was a great effort from everyone on the team. The freshmen have been showing immense signs of improvement in each game they play. Defender, Bayram Bilazer, opens up his stat sheet for the season with a wonder goal by free kick from over 50 yards away from the Hilltopper goal. Forwards, Rami Rayal, Ashton Floyd, Gelani McDowell, Kahled Nassif, and Gerald Paintsil put forth some great effort in the attacking third, which started to create problems for the Hilltopper defense. Midfielders, Mason Ghrist and Jose Salazar are beginning to look more comfortable on the field as they continue to play lots of hard earned minutes. In addition, Elijah Shabazz and Daniel Camacho provided useful assistance to the back line when they entered the game.
On Wednesday, the Hornet freshman hosted the Willowbrook Warriors. What a nail biter! The freshmen were unable to hang onto their lead and ultimately fell just short with a final score of 2-3. The Hornets were dominating in possession and looking dangerous for most of the game but went down 0-1 during the first half. The team came out with some fire to start the second half. About ten minutes later freshman forward, Ashton Floyd, received a great pass from his teammate Khaled Nassif. Ashton Floyd turned and was dribbling towards the Warior goal where he decided to take a shot. The shot was initially saved but another forward, Rami Rayal was there for the clean-up and passed the ball into the net, scoring his first goal of the season! The Hornets were buzzing as momentum was under their wings in a 1-1 game. Further into the half, a solo run and high effort play by Rami Rayal resulted in some communication issues from the Warrior defense. Rami stole the ball from the opposing center defender, dribbled towards the Warrior goal, and buried a shot top netting, scoring his second goal of the season, a brace in the game, all while putting the Hornets up 2-1. Unfortunately, the Hornets were unable to hold onto their lead. The Warriors responded by scoring 2 goals and stealing the win from the Hornets within the last 5 minutes of the game. Key performances by Jose Salazar, Kosta Tsigolis, and Mateo Cordova in the Midfield.
Moving into the weekend, the Hornets hosted the Glenbard South Raiders on Saturday morning. After a hard fought battle, the Hornets lost to the Raiders, 1-4. The team had lots of scoring opportunities but were just unable to get the ball across the goaline. The Hornet goal was scored by forward Rami Rayal that came from a great team effort getting the ball up the field. That makes it his 3rd goal of the season and his 3rd in 2 games. Notable performances from defender Diego Miranda, midfielders, Jose Salazar and Frank Tortorich, and forwards Ashton Floyd and Ahmed Hussain. The Hornets move into next week traveling to Morton, then hosting both Leyden and Elmwood Park. Let's go Hornets!
Week of September 2nd
Varsity The team hosted Joliet Central on Saturday for its only game of the week. The team had a strong performance which ended in a 7-0 win. Matt Martin got the scoring started about 10 minutes into the game when he hit a shot off the post and in from the top of the box. The team continued to dominate and create chances throughout the first half, but wasn’t able to convert any and went into halftime up 1-0. The team came out flying in the second half creating chances right away. We added to the lead when Alex Damis beat his defender, got to the endline, and pulled the ball back to Jimmy Martin who finished it to the far post. Jake Lu would add the next three goals of the game, two of which were assisted by Jimmy. Jake then added an assist of his own when he crossed a free kick to the far post that was headed home by Yazeed Almatarneh. The scoring was finished off by Jimmy after a great ball over the top by Ethan Ebreo. Josh Enriquez and Matt Martin controlled the midfield for the majority of the game. Aiden LaPat and Radick Gorz-Capistran combined for the shutout in goal and made a handful of saves throughout. The defense which included Brody Hallman, Justas Gadisauskas, Yazeed, Chris Nakamura, Aaron Mendoza Lopez, Braedon Atkinson, Ayman Najjar, and John Kadolph limited Joliet Central’s scoring chances throughout the entire game. The team heads into the next week with three away games at Argo, Ridgewood, and Glenbard South.
Freshman The freshman boys began their season with an 0-2 for their first two games. On Wednesday, the Hornets took on the Oak Park River Forest Huskies and fell short with an 0-8 loss. Adriel Vazquez, goalkeeper for the Hornets, was the player to mention having saved 10+ shots during the game. Despite the result, the Hornets were buzzing into the weekend with their heads held high.
On Saturday, the Hornets traveled to the Steelman of Joliet Central. Unfortunately, the team couldn't STEEL a win on the road and lost, 0-6. Hornet forwards, Rami Yayal, Aston Floyd, and Khaled Nassif played well, connecting passes that led to dangerous opportunities in front of the Steelman goal. Khaled Nassif had one shot just wide of the far post. Rami Yayal with a few shots on goal too. Midfielders, Jose Salazar, Mason Ghrist and defenders, Andre Khasherdene and Diego Miranda all put in a shift having played almost or entirely the full game. The team moves into next week traveling to Glenbard West and hosting Willowbrook and Glenbard South.
Week of August 26th
Varsity The team started its season in the Windy City Classic with a game against Lincoln Way West. The first half was back and forth with both teams creating chances and we found ourselves down 1-0 at halftime. LWW was able to grab a second goal shortly into the second half. The team kept pressing and finally broke through when Jimmy Martin scored off of a long ball from Ethan Ebreo to cut the lead to 2-1 with about 10 minutes left. With 4 minutes left, Jimmy was on the end of a long ball from Matt Martin which he put around the goalkeeper to even the game at 2-2. We then went to penalty kicks where the team went perfect through 8 rounds. PKs were made by Jimmy, Ethan, Josh Enriquez, Diego Canas, Aaron Mendoza-Lopez, Matt Martin, Andrew Leonardson, and Alex Damis. Aiden LaPat made a great save in the 8th round of PKs to give us a 8-7 win in penalty kicks.
The team took on Thornton Fractional United the following day. Matt Martin drew a penalty kick about 10 minutes into the first half which Jimmy finished to give us a 1-0 lead. The team continued to create chances through Jimmy, Ethan, and Diego throughout the first half. We played strong defensively with a backline of Ben Bartninkas, Brody Hallman, Aaron Mendoza-Lopez, and Chris Nakamura. A couple of mistakes led to goals by TF United as the team chased a 2-1 deficit. Matt hit the post with a couple of minutes left and the team created chances up until the final seconds of the game, but wasn’t able to find an equalizer and fell 2-1.
The team finished a busy week with a Saturday morning game against Oak Forest. We made a couple of mistakes early in the game which led to a 2-0 deficit at halftime. We took control of the second half with strong build up play from Josh Enriquez, Matt Martin, and Ethan Ebreo. They helped control the ball and get us back into the game. We were able to cut the lead in half when Jake Lu scored following a nice assist from Jimmy Martin. Similar to Thursday's game, the team created a bunch of chances late, but weren’t able to convert and lost 2-1.