Boys soccer captures tourney title
HUNTLEY – Huntley’s boys soccer team is coming off a super-sectional season in 2021 and the steady play has continued this year with a 4-1-2 record and one tournament championship.
Seniors Hudson Nielsen and Zach Heitkemper are two of seven returning players and have helped show the way to the 15 newcomers.
“Heitkemper and Nielsen have been sparks for us on offense,” HHS head coach Matt Lewandowski said. “They’ve connected on a fraction of the opportunities they have created so far. The best is yet to come. They are very dynamic and have incredible vision.”
“We all connected well through team bonding and off-season work,” Heitkemper said.
“We lost in the super-sectional last season so we have a chip on our shoulder this season,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen has contributed three goals and eight assists (including a four-assist game). Heitkemper tallied three goals and one assists. Eight HHS players have notched goals and nine have at least one assist.
HHS won its quad tournament championship on Sept. 3. The Red Raiders rallied from a 2-0 deficit to hold off Elgin Larkin, 3-2. The Red Raiders came back from a 2-0 deficit against the Royals.
“It was a total team win across the board in a match with a lot of tough calls,” Lewandowski said. “It was very intense and came at the end of a six-game week.”
Ansel Diaz got the hosts on the scoreboard in the 26th minute off an assist from Hudson Nielsen. Talon Sargent gave the Red Raiders the equalizer at the 60th minute from a long pass from goalie Ethan Robertson.
Mason Leslie, the lone sophomore on the team, scored the winner off a header in the 75th minute and the Red Raiders held on for the final five minutes.
Goalies David Pawlak and Robertson combined for 10 saves and split the 80 minutes as net keeper as they have done in most matches.
The Red Raiders earlier in the tournament bested Woodstock North, 4-1, behind four assists by Nielsen. Sargent, Jack Bruenig, Ethan Pfeifer and Diaz all tallied goals. Ethan Robertson registered five saves in goal. HHS had tied Rockford Guilford, 1-1, in the first tourney match as Nielsen scored the goal.
Lewandowski is pleased with the play of juniors Pawlak and Robertson. “They have been solid so far,” the coach commented. “They have both made big saves to keep us in games. They will continue to compete for the starter spot all season which in the end will help us immensely.”
FVC match
Huntley, 1-0 in the FVC, hopes to be in the upper half of the league with other contenders expected to be Crystal Lake Central, Jacobs, Crystal Lake South and Dundee-Crown.
Huntley’s win was a 3-1 verdict over Burlington Central Aug. 30. Heitkemper scored off a Pfeifer assist; Micah Overly scored from a Bruenig assist and Nielsen tallied unassisted for HHS.
HHS statistics
Contributing to HHS’s offense in the first seven matches also include: Bruenig, one goal, two assists; Diaz, two goals; Leslie, one goal; Overly, one goal; Pfeifer, two goals, one assists; Sargent, two goals, one assist and Robertson, one assist.
