Boys’ varsity soccer faces loss against Hillgrove Hawks
The Warriors huddled up to plan their next move on the field against the Hawks. The score rose to 2-0 by halftime, and the NC team attempted to keep up with the fierce opposing team. With the Warriors anticipating the loss by the last ten minutes, the score hit a whopping 5-0, and the Hillgrove Hawks celebrated the win.
February 26, 2020
The NC boys varsity soccer team faced off against the Hillgrove Hawks in an intense game on Tuesday, February 25. As family and supportive friends filled up the bleachers, excitement filled the air. The Warriors ended up losing to the Hawks with a final score of 5-0.
Several NC players acquired injuries from previous games, resulting in increased caution and watchfulness from the coaches. Defenders were assigned to watch specifically over junior Jackson Rottenberg in order to prevent further injury, but they still encouraged him to play well.
The starting lineup hosts many talented players including Jackson Rottenburg, Blake Dosdos, Kaan Vaan, Phillip Stark, Daniel Amah. The Warriors started off slow and not-so-steady, which resulted in a conceding goal made by the Hawks within the first 10 minutes. The Warriors tried to pick up the pace and swing the game in the right direction, but it did not work in their favor as they could not score a goal against the Hawks’ lineup. Hillgrove scored another goal due to NC midfielders and defenders failing to protect the ball efficiently. By halftime, the score remained 2-0.
In the second half, the Warriors started off stronger than before in an effort to redeem themselves. The two teams fought for control of the ball for the first 15 minutes, the Warriors effectively preventing the Hawks from scoring again. The Hawks retaliated with skillful gameplay and high energy which earned them the third goal of the game, warning the Warriors to fight back quickly or face loss.
“We need to be able to increase our chances of scoring up top and attack more often. We defended really well and stopped a lot of counter-attacks, but we weren’t able to score, unfortunately,” junior Jason Cobos said.
The Hillgrove Hawks ended up scoring two more goals by the end of the game due to a lack of concentration on the Warrior’s side. Although the team also dealt with an unfortunate loss Tuesday, they prepare to go up against North Paulding’s varsity team at North Paulding High School at 7:30 PM on Friday, February 28.
“The game was a tough loss, especially for our first game in the region, but we have to keep our heads up high and hope we can win more games in the future this season. We are going to train even harder and build ourselves in preparation to get where we need to be,” senior Blake Dosdos said.
