Right back up, HHS soccer outlasts Whip-Purs
HUNTLEY – Talk about comebacks, the Huntley soccer squad knows how to do just that.
The Red Raiders scored six unanswered goals for a 6-1 win over Hampshire in Fox Valley Conference action Oct. 4. The victory was a response to a 3-2 double overtime loss to Crystal Lake Central three days earlier.
“We came out with a chip on our shoulder. It (CLC) was a hard loss, but we did not let it get us down,” junior Hudson Nielsen said.
Hampshire scored first seven minutes into the match Tuesday but Mason Leslie tied it up after a pass from Ansel Dias at the 25-minute mark and it was 1-1 at halftime.
Huntley peppered the Hampshire net with attacks and scored three goals in 10 minutes of play. Isaac Jacobo scored twice, once unassisted and another on an assist by Dylan Johnson. Ansel Dias, who also had an assist, tallied after a pass from Gavin Eagan.
Nielsen scored twice within a minute to put the game on ice. One was from an assist by Jack Breunig, the other unassisted.
Junior Ethan Robertson played the entire match in goal and made five saves. Goalie David Pawlak was injured in the loss to CLC. Huntley was 11-5-2, 5-1 FVC after the win over Hampshire.
“Our mentality was we understood that one loss would not define the the rest of the season,” HHS assistant coach Dan Regan said. “We came out with energy so we did not fall behind 1-0 or 2-0. We wanted to manage our health and energy. Shout out to the substitutes who gave us an opportunity to do that.”
Against Crystal Lake Central Oct. 1, the Red Raiders led 2-1 on the strength of two goals by Zach Heitkemper. But the host Tigers gained the equalizer with a minute to go in regulation, then the game winner on a free kick from 40 yards out in the 90th minute.
Prior to the loss to the Tigers, the previous week was going well for Huntley with two shutout wins over FVC foes Jacobs and Cary-Grove.
Jacobs
Huntley downed rival Jacobs 2-0 Sept. 27 here. Nielsen contributed two assists as Eagan and Isaac scored goals. Robertson played 50 minutes in goal, with two saves and Pawlak played 30 minutes in goal with two saves.
Cary-Grove
HHS posted a 3-0 victory over the Trojans Sept. 29. Jacobo tallied on a penalty kick followed by Eagan’s goal from a pass by Talon Sargent and Nielsen tallied from an assist by Brandon Foster. Pawlak played the whole way in goal and made six saves.
Post-season
Huntley earned the third seed for the Hampshire Class 3A sectional and will play at the South Elgin
Regional. The Red Raiders will face the home team South Elgin at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 18.
