By Chase Karacostas
Sitting in the locker room during halftime, the varsity boys soccer team looked defeated as they listened to their coaches tell them to get back onto the field and battle Jesuit despite being down 1-0.
For the first time in four years, the team made it to the playoffs, losing in the first round at home last Saturday 3-1.
“We played as hard as we could,” senior forward Fuad Faki said. “We did everything we could, but we just fell short.”
Jesuit clung to a one-point lead until midway through the second half when senior forward Irvin Rodriguez shot the ball through the opposing keeper’s legs to tie the game.
“I’ve scored before, but I don’t think it’s felt like this,” he said. “It’s a playoff game, so it’s pretty important. My mom went, and it was one of the few games that she goes to, so it felt pretty good scoring when she went.”
The tie was held until the end of regulation, resulting in 20 minutes of overtime. Jesuit broke the tie in the second half of overtime, bringing the score to 2-1.
“I just tried to stay focused and it worked for most of the way,” sophomore goalkeeper Parker Lackland said. “Obviously we let down a little bit, but it was a good game, and we played one of the hardest teams we possibly could’ve played in our first round.”
Five minutes later, Jesuit scored the final goal of the game.
“That’s when everything just went downhill,” Rodriguez said. “The game was bittersweet because I scored, and it felt pretty amazing, and then they scored and it was just like, damn, they took your hype away.”
Head coach Robert Carmichael, while disappointed by the loss, reminded the team after the game that the team set a new bar by going to the playoffs.
“I think this is a good start to a tradition of going to the playoffs and seeing how far we can go,” Carmichael said. “These seniors basically helped start a trend, so I can’t wait to see where it goes from there. I’m excited about next season, and I can’t wait to start all over again.”
