Varsity Monday, October 13th - Hornets 8 Nazareth Academy 0 The Hornets once again had a very strong performance, this time against the Nazareth Academy roadrunners. The Hornets opened up early with a goal from Jake Lu due to an assist by Ethan Ebreo. The Hornets kept applying pressure, however were struggling to convert. However after Aaron Mendoza-Lopez won the ball in the midfield, Jake Lu converted a 1 on 1 chance with the goalkeeper to make the score 2-0. The half ended with that score-line, however the Hornets remained the dominant team. Early in the 2nd half, Grayson Tokarz sent a long ball to Jake to make the score 3-0, and Ethan scored a few moments later after a bad clearance by a Nazareth defender, making it 4-0. The score kept snowballing, as after a beautiful ball by Sava Nikolic, Diego Cañas scored to make it 5-0, and he later assisted Aaron to make it 6-0 Hornets. Sava then assisted Jake to make it 7-0 Hornets, and later on Ozan Koze scored, finishing the night 8-0 in the favor of the Hornets. The Hornets now travel to Seatgeek Stadium to play the Argonauts.
Wednesday, October 15th - Hinsdale South 2 Argo 1 The Hinsdale South Hornets want to make it three in a row versus Argo High School, and extend their win streak. Argo opened up early with a through ball past the backline, however Patrick Bares tipped it wide, and the Hornets conceded a corner. The game was consistently back and forth with both sides having chances, however none of them being strong chances. The first half remained scoreless, and it was 0-0 to start the second half. Argo opened up the half applying pressure on the Hornets, however the strong backline led by Floriono Garro prevented Argo from getting on the board. After a foul by an Argo defender on Jake Lu, Jake converted a penalty to put the Hornets on the board. Later on, a brilliant through ball from an Argo midfielder allowed them to even the score, and it was 1-1. The Hornets kept maintaining pressure, and in the dying minutes of the match, Joshua Enriquez won the ball and assisted Ethan Ebreo, who converted the chance and put the Hornets up 2-1. The Argonauts were unable to score in the few minutes left they had, and the Hornets won 2-1. Tune in on Wednesday where the Hornets host Richards for the IHSA Regional Semi-final, and they look to extend their win streak to 4 wins.
JV Hornets 0 Nazareth 0 This week the Hornets took on the Nazareth Roadrunners. It was a tough battle from both sides as many chances were created throughout the entire game. The Hornets had a few standout players that helped contribute to the game results. Junior Gevon Hart played forward for the Hornets today and had 4+ shots on goal. Unfortunately, he was unable to capitalize and get one through. Freshman midfielder Alex Gomula was also a huge factor in the game. He did a great job managing the midfield and creating scoring opportunities for his teammates. Lastly, sophomore midfielder Jose Salazar had a great defensive performance as well. He was a contributing factor to keeping the Roadrunners scoreless. Ultimately, both teams tried their best to get on the scoreboard but were unable to find any scoring success. The game finished and resulted in a tie, 0-0.
Hornets 0 Argo 0 The Hornets traveled to Argo to take on the Argonauts. This was the JV1 boys final game of the season and they came out fighting for a win. It was a great game played by both sides. There were times the Hornets looked strong and were dominating and there were other times when Argo had some momentum and were looking dangerous. Forwards Aris Papageorge, Khaled Nassif, and Andre Khaserdene all did their best to score. Each player was creating chances and had some shots on target. Not only was the Hornet attack trying their best, but the back line was keeping the Hornets in the game. Led by sophomores Diego Miranda and Daniel Camacho, the defense was able to hold their line and keep the Argonauts from scoring any goals. Unfortunately goals needed to be scored in order to win the game and the Hornets were unable to get one through. The game ended in a tie with a final score of 0-0. Thank you players, parents, and families for a great season!
Freshman As the Hornets' final game of the year, they found themselves on the road one last time, taking on a very strong LT team. As the game started, the Hornets took a defensive shape and tried to dig in, but to no avail, as LT was able to put 2 early goals in and made the score 2-0 within the first 10 minutes. The Hornets were unable to get anything going in the first half besides an unlucky shot from freshman Mustafa Alamawhi nearly found the back of the net but went just a few inches wide. LT however, had no trouble finding the back of the net and went on to beat the Hornets 9-0. Despite the heavy loss at the end of the season, the team was still in high hopes having played some great soccer this season, and wanted to thank their fans and family who came out to support them all year!
Week of October 6th
Varsity Tuesday, October 7th - Hinsdale South 0 Addison Trail 8 The Hornets head to Addison Trail in a conference matchup in hopes of bouncing back from the loss on Saturday. However, a strong Addison Trail team had other plans. Their strong attack kept putting goals in the back of the Hornet's net, and despite an effort from the Hornets to score, the Trailblazer backline prevented the Hornets from scoring. The Hornets head to Proviso East on Thursday in hopes of bouncing back.
Thursday, October 9th - Hinsdale South 8 Proviso East 1 The Hornets head to Maywood to play the Proviso East Pirates. The Hornets had an overall strong showing, with a strong backline including Floriono Garro, Chris Nakamura, Leo Bares, and Grayson Tokarz only letting one goal in. The Hornets also maintained possession most of the match, putting consistent pressure on the Pirates’ backline. Sava Nikolic scored twice and had an assist, and Mo Banion also had three assists. Jake Lu, however, was unstoppable as he put six goals in the back of the Pirates’ net, along with an assist to Sava. The Hornets look to build off their performance when they head to Nazareth Academy to play the Roadrunners on Monday.
JV Hornets 1 Addison Trail 8 This week the Hornets took on the Blazers of Addison Trail . It was a tough game from the start. The Blazers had the Hornets pinned in their half for the majority of the game. Senior goalie Lazar Martic put on a good showing as the Blazer forwards were keeping him busy. It wasn’t until about 10 minutes into the second half where the Hornets found themselves in a counter-attack after a good defensive effort. Freshman forward Diego Camarena received a through pass from sophomore midfielder Frank Tortorich. Diego dribbled through defenders and into the box where he was tripped. A penalty kick was given. Diego stepped up to take the kick and scored. The freshman scored his first goal of the JV1 season. It was nice to get the team on the board but the Blazers ultimately defeated the Hornets with a score of 1-8.
Hornets 3 Proviso East 0 The Hornets traveled to Proviso East to take on the Pirates. It was a great game played by both sides in the pouring rain. The Hornets were looking strong. They were connecting passes up the field and finding their way behind the Pirate defense. During the first half the Hornets were in the attacking half of the field and earned themselves a free kick. Junior forward Damian Lopez stepped up to take the kick. He bent the ball up over the wall and into the goal. It was a great shot and he put the Hornets up 1-0. This was a great momentum boost when the first half came to an end. During the second half the Hornets were back on the front, putting pressure on the Pirates. A Hornet forward took a shot that was blocked right outside the box. Sophomore forward Khaled Nassif chased after the ball. He went and kicked the ball off the bounce back into the box. With the wind blowing and the amount of arc on the shot, the ball traveled up over the goalie and into the goal. What a shot! He put the Hornets up by two. It was just a few more minutes later where sophomore midfielder Iain MacLeod found himself in a similar situation to Khaled. Iain chased after a bouncing ball that was cleared by the Pirate defense. Iain went to kick the ball back into the group of players inside the box. His kick went up in the air and carried over the goalie and into the net once again. The Hornets were now up 3-0. In addition to the attacking effort, the Hornet defenders and goalies were able to hold off the Pirate attackers and finish the game with a clean sheet. Hornets beat the Pirates, 3-0.
Freshman After a game another the road, the Hornets took on Proviso West at home in what was sure to be a thrilling match. The game started with an early goal to the Hornets from freshman Diego Camarena, who picked the ball up from a great punt from Goalie Salmaan Bengali and dribbled through the East backline and provided a great finish into the bottom corner to make it 1-0 to the Hornets, which put his goal tally for the season in double digits. The rest of the half was a stalemate between the two teams until the final few minutes, when a Hornet defensive mistake gave the ball away near their own box and allowed an East striker to pick up the ball and score, leading to the score being set at 1-1 at halftime. The hornets came out firing in the 2nd half with many attempts on goal but were unable to find the back of the net. With about 15 minutes left in the game, the Hornets had another defensive mistake, which cost them another goal, making the score 2-1 going into the final stretch of the game. The Hornets were able to pull one goal back after a great pass from freshman Diego Camarena found Freshman Luca Leon in the box for an easy finish, ending the game at 2-2.
After a tough tie, the Hornets took on one of their rivals, Hinsdale Central, which is sure to be a great match. As the game began, both teams came out very stroing and put shots on goal, but neither team was able to create a sure chance to put them into the lead. Both teams defended very well, and neither team was able to break down the other, leading to the score being set a 0-0 at the end of the first half. As the second half began, Freshman Mohammed Bainian dribbled through the Central midfield and played a perfect ball into the path of the Hornet's top scorer, Diego Camarena, who beautifully rounded the keeper and put the ball into the back of the net, making the socre 1-0 to the Hornets with about 20 minutes remaining in the second half. The Hornets dug in on defense as Central did not go down without a fight, forcing some amazing saves from the Hornet Goalkeeper Patrock Bares, who was able to hold onto his clean sheet. The Hornets defeated Central 1-0, and successfully beat both of their rival teams his season. The Hornets hope to build on this win and take the momentum into the next game.
Week of September 29th
Varsity Tuesday, September 30th - Hinsdale South 3 Downers Grove South 2 The Hornets played a cross-town rival in the Downers Grove South Mustangs to compete for the Bell. The Mustangs opened up strong, scoring within the first minute. However, the Hornets responded quickly after, as Aaron Mendoza-Lopez won back the ball in the attacking third, and soon after Jake Lu scored due to a poor clearance by a Mustang defender off a cross by Sava Nikolic. The Hornets maintained heavy pressure on the Mustang backline, with chances from Alexander Damis, Diego Cañas, Sava Nikolic, and Jake Lu. Eventually, the Hornets won a penalty, with Aaron Mendoza-Lopez converting from the spot to put the Hornets up 2-1. A few minutes later, Jake dribbled past 3 Mustang defenders and slotted it into the bottom left corner, putting the Hornets up 3-1. However, the Mustangs responded quickly as they scored after a corner kick, and the half ended 3-2. The Hornets kept putting on pressure in the second half, remaining the dominant team throughout it. The backline led by Chris Nakamura remained strong, allowing minimal chances for the Mustangs, with Patrick Bares also making a few key saves to keep the Hornets up. The second half resulted in both sides going scoreless, and the Hornets won the Bell back for the first time since 2007. The Hornets play their sister school Hinsdale Central on Thursday, and look to keep making history through a win.
Thursday, October 2nd - Hinsdale South 0 Hinsdale Central 2 The Hornets head to the Red Devils in hopes of building off of their strong performance from Tuesday. It was a low-scoring affair, with the Red Devils coming out early to go up 1-0 in the first half. The Red Devils kept maintaining pressure throughout the half, however they failed to break through due to a strong backline from the Hornets. Jake Lu had a shot from far outside the box, and it unfortunately rattled the crossbar, followed by Sava Nikolic barely sending it out wide. That ended up being the best chance, and in the dying minutes of the match the Red Devils scored a brace, putting the game out of reach for the Hornets. The Hornets play at home on Sunday vs St. Laurence, and hope to bounce back.
Saturday, October 4th - Hinsdale South 3 St. Laurence 5 The Hornets host the 20th ranked St. Laurence Vikings. The Vikings got on the board first, as they scored off a cross to put themselves up 1-0. They kept applying pressure on our backline, however Patrick Bares made multiple key saves to keep the score 1-0. Eventually, after Ethan Ebreo won the ball, he played the ball to Sava Nikolic who assisted a wide open Diego Cañas to level the score at 1-1. After some good build up play containing Ethan Ebreo, Chris Nakamura, Alexander Damis, and Mario Lagunas, Alex crossed the ball into the middle, with Diego slotting it in off the post and into the net to put the Hornets up 2-1. Diego won a penalty after a bad foul in the box from the Vikings goalkeeper, however the shot was saved by the goalie. As the buzzer sounded to end the first half, the Vikings scored a goal into the upper corner, leveling the score. Near the beginning of the second half, the Vikings scored to put them up 3-2, with the Hornets quickly thereafter having a chance of their own, but it hit the crossbar. The Vikings then extended the lead, making it 4-2. The Vikings eventually put the game to bed, making the score 5-2. Ozan Koze later scored after Sava Nikolic won the ball on top of the box, however it wasn't enough as the Vikings won 5-3.
JV Hornets 0 Downers Grove South 5 The JV1 boys started their week of games at home against Downers Grove South. The Hornets looked strong from the start. The Hornet starting midfielders: Jose Salazar, Mason Ghrist, and Leo Gerardi were playing very well together. They were able to connect passes and create some attacking plays. In addition, Hornet forward Aris Papageorge contributed to the attack by creating a few chances of his own. During one play, he dribbled through two defenders and had a nice shot on target. He was unable to score. The Mustangs looked strong too. They were able to create some scoring chances but found more success and got the ball in the back of the net. The Hornets were unable to get one on the board and lost to the Mustangs, 0-5.
Hornets 0 Hinsdale Central 4 The Hornets traveled down the road to take on the Red Devils. It was a tough battle right from the kickoff. The Hornet defenders were trying their best to keep the attackers from sneaking behind their line. Amongst them was veteran defender, Gevon Hart, who did well at holding down his side of the field. In addition to the defensive effort, senior goalie Lazar Martic was very active, finishing the game with 10+ saves. Unfortunately the Red Devils were able to get some of their shots through and finished the game on top. Hornets lose, 0-4.
Hornets 0 St. Laurence 5 The Hornets took on the Vikings this weekend. It was a great team effort from everyone. Freshman defenders David Potts and Henry Bretthauer were some standout players. Both were getting stuck into tackles and did a good job at winning the ball in the air. Sophomore forward Andre Khaserdene contributed to the attack as well. He was able to get a few shots on goal but was unable to find any luck with scoring. Along with him up top was sophomore Zaid Ghanem. He did his best to create some scoring chances for the Hornets but was unable to get anything going. On the other hand, the Vikings had more luck on their side and were able to find the back of the net a few times. Hornets fall to the Vikings, 0-5.
Freshman The Hornets took on Proviso East at home after a game on the road, finally getting to defend their home field. The Hornets came out strong with a great finish from freshman Jakub Mirowski after a perfect pass from freshman Diego Camerena set him through on goal, making the score 1-0 to the Hornets early on in the game. After this initial success, though the Hornets were not able to keep it together and conceded 2 goals to East late in the first half, bringing the score to 2-1 at halftime. East came out very strong in the second half and put another goal past the Hornets, making the score 3-1. The Hornets tried to find another way through the East defense but were unable to, with the best chance coming from a long shot from Freshman Luca Leon that hit the crossbar from distance. Late into the 2nd half, East scored again, leaving the score 4-1 at the end of the game.
After a loss at home, the Hornets then took on Addison Trail, hoping to come away with a win. The Hornets came out strong in the first half with great passes from Freshman Alex Gomula and Leo Gerardi, nearly finding the Hornet strikers through on goal, but they were unable to finish. Both teams played very hard in the first half, and neither team allowed a goal, leaving the score 0-0 at the end of the 1st half. The Hornets came out very strong in the 2nd half, and freshman Leo Bares was able to find the back of the net after a deflection from his long shot found its way past the keeper, making it 1-0 to the Hornets. The Hornets then dug in on defense and tried to hold their lead and after winning the ball back in their own half, Freshman Luca Leon dribbled up the left side of the field and provided a great assist to Freshman Deigo Camarena, who found the back of the making the score 2-0 to the Hornets. The game ended with a 2-0 Hornet victory, and the boys hope to take this win and build on it in the next game.
Week of September 22nd
Varsity Tuesday, September 23rd Hinsdale South 1 Willowbrook 4 The Hornets had their senior tonight, commemorating Jake Lu, Ethan Ebreo, Alexander Damis, Lazar Martic, and Yazeed Almatarneh for their four years of the program. The Hornets were consistently getting chances due to good plays made by Ethan Ebreo, Jake Lu, Alexander Damis, Diego Cañas, and Sava Nikolic, however they were consistently called offsides. Goalkeeper Lazar Martic also made key saves to keep the game close, however Willowbrook led 2-0 heading into the half. In the 2nd half, the Hornets maintained pressure, consistently dominating possession and gaining multiple chances early on. Leo Bares assisted Sava Nikolic to put the Hornets on the board, however the Hornets struggled to find the ball in the back of the net a 2nd time. The Hornets had to press even more, however Willowbrook ended up finding the back of the net two more times, with one being a penalty in the last minute. Despite losing, the Hornets fought hard. Thank you to all the seniors!
Thursday, September 25th Hinsdale South 5 Kaneland 1 Hinsdale South traveled to Kaneland and delivered a strong performance. Aaron Mendoza-Lopez put the first goal on the board with an assist from Alexander Damis. The Hornets then scored a 2nd shortly after, with Ethan Ebreo sending a ball to Jake Lu who converted the chance. Kaneland then scored to make it 2-1, however the Hornets responded swiftly with an assist from Rami Rayal on his debut, with Diego Cañas converting to make it 3-1 to end the half. The Hornets maintained the strong performance in the second half, with Ethan assisting Jake who converted, and Jake later assisted Alex to make it 5-1. Kaneland tried multiple times to break through, as a backline led by Chris Nakamura, Grayson Tokarz, and Patrick Bares shut them out in the 2nd half due to a strong performance defensively. The Hornets travel to Leyden to play the Eagles, and hope to build off of the strong performance.
Saturday, September 27th Hinsdale South 0 Leyden 7 The Hornets head to Franklin Park to play Leyden, who are 8th in the state. Despite the Hornet’s best efforts, Leyden’s strong attack was able to break through multiple times and put seven goals in the back of the net versus the Hornets. There were a few chances made by players such as Jake Lu and Joshua Enriquez, however Leyden was able to stop those chances. The Hornets are looking to bounce back against school rivals Downers Grove South on Tuesday.
JV Hornets 1 Willowbrook 2 The Hornet JV1 boys team hosted the Willowbrook Warriors. It was a tough game played by both sides. The Hornet defense was looking solid for the majority of the first half. It wasn’t until a long punt by the Warrior goalie that carried the ball over the Hornet defense, catching them all by surprise. A Warrior forward ran behind the defense and shot the ball into the net. The Hornets trailed 0-1 going into the second half. The Hornets started the second half with lots of energy, midfielders Rami Rayal and Frank Tortorich were playing well together, connecting passes and getting behind the Warrior defense. Later on, the Warriors found themselves with another offensive opportunity and took advantage of it. They now led against the Hornets 0-2. The second half continued and defenders Diego Miranda and David Potts continued to play strong, keeping the Warriors from extending their lead. Towards the end of the half, the Hornets were able to get one on the board when freshman midfielder Leo Gerardi shot a rebound into the Warrior goal. The Hornets were unable to score a second and fell to the Warriors, 1-2.
Hornets 0 Leyden 4 On Saturday, the Hornets traveled to Leyden High School. It was a great showing from both sides. The Hornet defense and Senior goalkeeper, Lazar Martic were keeping the Hornets in the game for the majority of the first half. Unfortunately, a quick corner kick taken by the Eagles caught the Hornets by surprise and they took the lead. Before the end of the first half the Eagles found themselves taking another corner kick and capitalized on the opportunity. Hornets down 0-2 at half. The second half was in the Eagles favor, the Hornets were struggling to get themselves going. Defenders Danial Camacho and Henry Bretthauer tried to get the Hornet spirits up with some energy but were unable to find success. Hornets lose to the Eagles, 0-4.
Freshman Monday, September 22nd - Hinsdale South 3 Downers Grove South 1 The Hornets took on their Rivals, DGS, this week in a heated match at home. DGS came out strong in the first half and scored an early goal to give them the lead after a poor clearance from the Hornets. The remainder of the first half was a stalemate with both teams playing hard and not allowing any goals. After the halftime break, the Hornets came out swinging and had the ball in the DGS half for most of the 2nd half. The Hornets made it 1-1 after a great ball from Freshman Elijah Guiterrez found its way through the DGS backline and right to Freshman Alex Gomula for a nice finish. Only a few minutes later, the Hornets struck again after a corner kick was deflected to the outside of the box, where Freshman Leo Gerardi met it on the volley for an amazing goal into the top left corner. The Hornets continued to look threatening, and late into the game, a great pass from Freshman Deigo Camarena found Freshman Luca Leon through on goal. Leon was able to dribble around the keeper for an easy finish, making it 3-1 to the Hornets. The Hornets went on to win the game and hope to take this momentum forward!
Wednesday, September 24th - Hinsdale South 0 York 5 The Hornets were on the road again today taking on a very strong York team. The Hornets came out strong in the first half with attempts on goal from Freshmen Diego Camarena and Luca Leon but were unable to find the back of the net. York was able to regain their composure and put 2 goals past the Hornets before halftime, bringing the score to 2-0 York at halftime. York came out very strong in the second half and put 2 more goals past the Hornets early into the half, making it 4-0. The Hornets did not give up, however and continued to try and find a way back into the game with attempts from Freshman Luca Leon nearly finding the back of the net. The Hornets were not able to pull anything back, and the final score became 5-0 after a late goal from York in the last few minutes of the game.
Week of September 15th
Varsity Thursday, September 18th - Hinsdale South 2 Elmwood Park 3 The Hornets head to Elmwood Park in hopes of continuing their undefeated streak. Despite good passing between the Hornets at the start, Elmwood Park scored two early goals to lead 2-0. Near the end of the half Ethan Ebreo and Jake Lu had great chances, with Jake Lu winning the ball off a high press and making it 2-1 to end the half. The Hornets continued to make good connections in the second half, having continuous chances. However, Elmwood Park scored to make it 3-1. Jake Lu then assisted Joshua Enriquez in the dying minutes to end the game 3-2.
Saturday, September 20th - Hinsdale South 1 Providence 5 The Hornets head to Providence in hopes of bouncing back from a tough loss. Providence scored early, but after a good defensive play by Aaron Mendoza-Lopez, Jake Lu dribbled it past their backline and passed it to Sava Nikolic, who slotted it into the corner to tie it up. Afterwards, Hinsdale South had multiple chances but failed to convert them due to a strong performance from the Providence goalkeeper. The Hornets unfortunately lost 5-1, and look to bounce back vs Willowbrook on Tuesday.
JV Hornets 0 Elmwood Park 4 On Thursday, the Hornets traveled to Elmwood Park to take on the Tigers. The game did not start in the Hornets favor with the Tigers scoring in the first minute of the game. This sparked a fire for the Hornets as they tried to dominate and put up a great fight for the majority of the game. There were scoring chances by all the forwards. Freshman forwards Alex Gomula and Ryan Calistro were great additions to the mix. Both players did their best to connect passes and get behind the Tiger defense. It wasn’t until the last 15 minutes where another goal was scored, unfortunately it was a Tiger goal. Adding to the final total where the Hornets lose 0-4.
Hornets 2 Providence Catholic 3 On Saturday, the Hornets took on Providence Catholic. Right from the kickoff the Hornets were eager to get their first win of the season. After 30 minutes of going back and forth with scoring chances coming from left and right, the Hornets earned themselves a corner kick. Sophomore Khaled Nassif went to take the kick. He decided not to cross the ball but to take a shot. His shot curled towards the near post and slid past the goalie, scoring an OLIMPICO! What a great goal for his first of the season. It was a short celebration because not too long after Providence Catholic got behind the Hornet defense and tied it up before the half ended. The second half then started in Providence Catholic’s favor with a great shot from far out. Later in the half the Hornets found themselves trailing by two goals by another nice shot from a Providence Catholic forward. With 10 minutes remaining and after lots of battling, the Hornets had another corner kick. The ball is kicked in, bounces a few times in front of the goal, then junior defender Fares Kachlan taps the ball into the net. The Hornets were unable to find another goal before the time ran out. They lost the tough game, 2-3.
Freshman Monday, September 15th - Hornets 0 Morton 0 The Hornets came out firing directly off the kickoff with some great playmaking from their midfield and were able to create a 1-on-1 chance with the Morton goalie that they were unfortunately unable to finish. Morton however, bounced back and took many shots on the Hornets' goal, forcing some amazing saves from their goalie, and they even hit the crossbar 3 times. The Hornets powered through the end of the half with some great defending, keeping the score at 0-0. As the second half began, the Hornets adapted a more attacking style to their play, but were unable to find the back of the net. Morton also continued to take shots on goal, which forced freshman goalie Erick Silva to make some great saves to keep the Hornets in the game. As the second half came to a close, both teams looked evenly matched, and neither was able to break through the other's defense, resulting in a 0-0 tie at the end of the second half. This game marks the Hornets' first tie game of the season, and they will continue on the road this week with 2 more away games on Wednesday and thursday!
Wednesday, September 17th @ Leyden After a tie against Morton, the Hornets took on Leyden, which was another very tough opponent. Leyden came out very strong and put 3 goals past the Hornets in the first 20 minutes and had the Hornets on the back foot for the rest of the game. Despite good performances from Freshmen Defenders Bryce Tolentino and Jakub Zablyut, the Hornets were not able to get anything going and lost the game 9-0.
Thursday, September 18th @ Elmwood Park After a heavy loss away to Leyden, the Hornets were back on the Road to take on Elmwood Park and bounce back. The game started evenly until Elmwood Park scored a goal past the Hornets, making it 1-0 15 minutes into the game. The Hornets attack, led by the Freshmen Jakub Mirowski and Luca Leon looked very threatening and had many chances on goal, but were unable to make it 1-1. The Hornets then conceded a penalty, which they were unable to save, making it 2-0 before the break. After halftime, the Hornets came out very strong and had multiple scoring chances with some great passing from Freshman midfielder Elijah Gutierrez, but were unable to find the back of the net. Despite keeping most of the possession, the Hornets were not able to find a way through Elmwood's defense until a penalty in the last 15 minutes. Freshman Deigo Camarena was able to score from the spot, marking his 7th goal of the season and making it 2-1 with 15 minutes to go. Despite many efforts on goal, the Hornets were unable to break through again, and the game ended in a 2-1 loss for the Hornets. The Hornets will finally be back home on Monday against rivals DGS!
Week of September 8th
Varsity Tuesday, September 9th - Hornets 0 Morton 2 The Hornets matched up against Morton in their first WSC Gold Conference on the road. The Hornets started off strong with multiple chances with the defense and goalkeeping keeping Morton off the scoreboard for most of the first half until a foul led to a freekick goal to put Morton up 1-0 at halftime. The 2nd half was the same story as the 1st as the Hornet offense kept pressure but could not finish to get a goal on the board. Morton took advantage of small mistakes which led to a 2nd and final goal to seal the game as the Hornets took an 0-2 loss.
Thursday, September 11th - Hornets 5 Timothy Christian 3 The Hornets were on the road again as they took on Timothy Christian in a matchup that was crucial for regional placement. Timothy took a 1-0 lead early in the first half which put the Hornets in a chasing position to get the equalizer. A pass from Diego Canas gave Jake Lu the perfect opportunity to equalize and he capitalized on it to tie the game up at 1. Building off the momentum of the first goal, Hornets captured their 2nd goal of the game scored by Sava Nikolic which put the Hornets up at the end of the 1st Half. A gritty and physical 2nd half was not an obstacle for the Hornets as they matched it with 2 goals right out of the gate by Diego Canas and Jake Lu to make it 4-1. Timothy fought hard by scoring a goal to cut the deficit to 4-2 but Alex Damis scored with 6 minutes left to make it 5-2. Timothy fought back and scored a third goal but it was not enough for them to come back as the Hornets notch their 4th win of the season against a crucial team to win against for regional placement.
Saturday, September 13 - Hornets 2 Glenbard South 2 The Hornets looked to build off of a strong showing against Timothy Christian with a match against Glenbard South, another regional opponent, at home. Late in the 1st half, Diego Cañas shot a shot that bounced off of their goalkeeper, allowing for Sava Nikolic to get the rebound and score, resulting in a 1-0 lead. Glenbard South then responded with a goal off of a breakaway, tying it up only a few minutes before halftime. Glenbard South then proceeded to score early in the 2nd half. However, after consistent pressure, the Hornets scored off a corner by Mo Banian which went to Sava Nikolic, who assisted Jake Lu, tying it up in the dying minutes of the match. The Hornets continued applying pressure, but a strong Glenbard South backline maintained an even scoreline. The Hornets finish the match drawn 2-2, and they look forward to building off of their undefeated streak against Elmwood Park.
JV Hornets 0 Morton 9 On Tuesday, the JV1 boys team traveled to Morton High School. The Hornets put up their best fight as there was a lot of action for the Hornet defense. Some outstanding defensive performances by junior defender, Gevon Hart. In addition to the big saves by freshman goalkeeper, Maksymilian Mirowski. The Hornets end up falling to the Mustangs, 0-9.
Hornets 1 Glenbard South 4 On Saturday, the Hornets hosted the Raiders of Glenbard South. The Hornets looked dangerous off the start. The Hornet midfield was dominating the center of the field, causing problems for the Raider defense. Leading the bunch, sophomore holding mid, Jose Salazar. With him, sophomore Khaled Nassif was also creating lots of scoring chances for the Hornets. The Hornets were unable to score in the first half but were only down 0-1. The second half started a little slower for the Hornets, with the Raiders scoring two quick goals in the first 15 minutes. It wasn’t until the end of the game where the Hornets finally found success with freshman midfielder Leo Gerardi being in the right place at the right time after a blocked shot, where he trapped the ball and shot it into the goal. The Hornets end up losing to the Raiders, 1-4.
Freshman
Week of September 1st
Varsity Thursday, September 4th - Hornets 6 Ridgewood 3 The Hornets host the Rebels for their first home game of the season. The Hornets took the early lead with an assist from Ethan Ebreo to Diego Cañas. Later on, Alexander Damis beat his defender and crossed it in towards Sava Nikolic, who ended up converting the chance. Despite putting consistent pressure on the Rebels throughout the 1st half, the score was 2-2 by halftime. However, the Hornets' consistent pressure resulted in the game breaking away for the Hornets. Early on in the 2nd half, Ethan had a corner kick, and after chaos in the box, Jake Lu ended up converting the chance leading to a 3-2 lead. Then later on, a counterattack led by Josh Enriquez, Jake, and Sava resulted in the Hornets getting a penalty, and converting. Jake later assisted Sava on a breakaway chance, with Sava doing the same to Jake later on. The Rebels eventually scored on a strong Hornet backline led by centerback Chris Nakamura and goalkeeper Patrick Bares, however it wasn't enough as the Hornets came out victorious 6-3.
Saturday, September 6th - Hornets 2 Joliet Central 1 The Hornets visit the Joliet Central Steelmen in what turned out to be a low-scoring game. Despite there being a multitude of chances from both sides, Joliet Central ended the 1st half up 1-0 after winning the ball in our box and scoring. However, the Hornets kept applying pressure, eventually tying it up 1-1 with Sava Nikolic beating the goalie in 1-on-1 after a throw-in from Mario Lagunas. Only a few minutes later, the Hornets won a corner kick, and Ethan Ebreo took the corner. On the corner, the ball was punched out by the goalkeeper, however Leo Bares put the ball back into play, with Jake Lu scoring after that. This goal ended up being the deciding goal, as the Steelmen failed to break through a strong back line containing Grayson Tokarz, Chris Nakamura, Leo Bares, Mario Lagunas, Yazeed Almatarneh, and Aaron Mendoza-Lopez.
JV Hornets 0 Ridgewood 4 The Hornet JV1 boys soccer team started their season at home taking on Ridgewood High School. The team started off strong with a few chances in the first half. Junior forward, Aris Papageorge, was involved in a lot of the offense. Unfortunately, the Hornets were unable to get one behind the Ridgewood goalkeeper. Ridgewood found a lot more success with their scoring chances, handing the Hornets their first loss with a score of 0-4.
Freshman
Week of August 25th
Varsity Tuesday, August 26th - Hornets 0 Reavis 6 The Hornets started the season in the Windy City Classic Tournament playing the hosts in the first game of the year. Although the result was not what the Hornets hoped for the first game of the season, there were bright spots all over the field. Freshman players like Grayson Tokarz, Mo Banian, Leo Bares and Patrick Bares making their debuts and showing bright and promising future spurts.
Thursday, August 28th - Hornets 3 Marist 2 2nd Game of the season and the tournament was a close and hard-fought matchup against Marist. It was an exciting back and forth matchup with the Hornets striking first on the scoreboard with a goal by Sava Nikolic and would end up scoring 2 goals. This tight knit matchup resulted in a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation which brought upon a golden goal overtime period. As Mo Banian sent a long ball across the field, Ozan Kose was there to drive the ball into the box and hit it post and into the goal to get the Hornets their first win of the season.
Saturday, August 30th - Hornets 4 TF United 5 The 3rd game of the tournament was versus Thornton Fractional United. In this high-scoring affair, Thornton took the lead early in the 1st half. The Hornets responded soon after with a header from Alexander Damis in the box, who was assisted by Diego Cañas. The Hornets then increased the lead to 2-1 after Jake Lu converted a penalty that he won after a foul in the box. Alex then scored his second goal, and Sava Nikolic scored late in the second half. However, Thornton's strong attack made sure no goals were left unanswered, as the score ended 4-4 in regulation. In golden-goal overtime, Thornton unfortunately scored first, resulting in a 4-5 loss for the Hornets despite a strong showing offensively.