So far the season for boys soccer has been far from expectations. With a 4-10-2 record everyone expected an easy game for Warren, but the Scouts were determined to prove that their season wasn’t over yet. “I think our record is a terrible representation of who we are as a team. We have lots of talent but play a very difficult schedule. We have competed with every team we have played this year and I am pleased with our performance especially coming off a 5 game losing streak,” said Brennen Riley. 

The Scouts opened the game with a strong defensive presence. The constant pressure on Warren made it difficult for them to play the ball on our side of the field. “We had a very strong performance and were able to compete with a top 5 team in the state. I am very proud of how we capitalized on our opportunities early on. Scoring in the first five minutes helped to set the tone and gave us lots of momentum which stayed with us for the entire game,” said Riley.  

The goalkeeper for the Scouts, Mateo Morrone, had three impressive saves in the first half. He also might have been a source of motivation for the team with his outstanding performance. ‘We really rallied around Mateo, our goalie, he was making some great saves towards the end of the second half. He brought a lot of energy to our team when we really needed it,” said senior Tommy Van Camp.

The second half opened with a stalemate for both teams. Warren became desperate, trying to draw any penalties they could. They started to crack under pressure. “Warren seemed very frustrated towards the end of the game because they weren’t able to break our defense,” said Riley. 

The intensity of the game was brought to another level in the last 5 minutes. “Towards the end it got kinda crazy tied 1-1 can’t let up any easy goals at the end, a let down.” said Van Camp

That’s exactly what the Scouts did. Despite low expectations, the Scouts managed to lock down one of the best soccer teams in the state of Illinois. One of the ways the Scouts did this was by using a “lot of quick plays with the wings like Marco, we got him in behind the defenders and we were able to get some stuff in the box, so our center midfielders like Alex they were able to switch the ball really well so it opened up a lot of the field for us,” Van Camp said. 

For the Scouts, this game serves as a reminder that mistakes earlier in the season do not define this team. Even without their star player Jack Rice, out due to an injury, the Scouts not only played a dominant game over one of their toughest opponents yet, but they almost won. 

“We are going to need to use this momentum as we finish up the season and get into the state playoffs. I think this team can make some noise and surprise some people in the state tournament,” said Riley. 

Going forward the Scouts will use this result for motivation for their next few games and a run in the playoffs as the Boys Soccer season comes to an end. Be sure to check out their next two upcoming games against Vernon Hills (10-6-1) this Tuesday at home at 6:45 PM and next week against Saint Viator (8-8) on Tuesday the 18th at 7:00 PM in Arlington Heights.