With Central Coast Section playoffs looming, the varsity boys soccer team is finding its stride at the right time. A recent win over Harker was the Knights’ 11th straight to start league play and brought the team’s overall record to 13-2-2. “We have had a lot of success this season, […] especially with the fact that we lost 12 seniors. I think our team has really come together in a short time period,” junior midfielder Reed Sunwoo said.
Head coach Daniel Hicker believes the team’s preseason performance set the team up for success. The team’s trip to Los Angeles over the holiday break was an especially important learning point, including a matchup against Redondo Union High School, ranked 14th in California. Although the game ended in a 3-1 loss, Hicker saw tremendous value in the process.“We played against fairly high competition and learned from that experience,” he said.
The trip also doubled as an unexpected bonding experience for the team after the bus’ cooling pipe burst and left the players and coaches stranded on the Grapevine for several hours. “When the bus broke down on our way back, there wasn’t great cell service, so it really helped us kind of come together and get to know each other,” Sunwoo said.
In addition to the competition from preseason, Hicker attributes the team’s success in league to their work ethic. “I believe we have shown strength, and we continue to improve every day and every week. This is definitely a team you could trust will work hard every single day and game,” Hicker said. “When I look down my roster, I see great moments from everyone.”
Sunwoo agrees with this point, having exemplified the work ethic in their game against Sacred Heart Prep. “If you had left five minutes early, you would have thought [it ended] 0-0,” he said. In the last 10 seconds of the game, senior captain Gabriel Gil scored off a cross from junior Adrian Collantes. “I think it just shows no matter if you are a starter, or if you are coming off the bench, everyone wants that goal,” Sunwoo said.
Next up for the Knights is a push to win an outright back-to-back WBAL title, as well as a CCS championship. The team lost in the Division II semifinals last year, but Sunwoo would enjoy the team pushing even further than DII. “I’d love to make it to DI,” he said.
