As a school without a football team, there is an argument to be made about which sport is at the center of IMSA athletics culture. One such contender is our varsity soccer team. With the boys season wrapping up this past Saturday, there is a lot to unpack from this defining season in an era where the culture of IMSA soccer is shifting. In part, this change is brought about by the addition of three new coaching staff members, including head coach David Hernandez and assistant coaches Epifanio Perez and Matthew Gombar, the latter of which is an alum of IMSA soccer. As the last season for many players, including captains Jeffery Yao and Jacob Nendza, there were plenty of empowering and disappointing moments.
This evolution of the IMSA soccer team is fortified by the disproportionate number of sophomores on the team (6 seniors, 8 juniors, and 12 sophomores). With a large number of players who will likely return next year, the new coaching staff were given the opportunity to instill a long-standing tradition in the upcoming seasons.
In terms of the season itself, it was difficult for players to pick out the highest point of the season. Perhaps it was the 7-0 victory over Parkview Christian Academy to mark the first win of the season. Or maybe it was the narrow 0-1 defeat to Hinckley Big Rock which was a night of fierce competition. Ultimately, the one game that the team would remember the most was the 3-2 victory against Somonauk, the highest-ranked team in the Little Ten Conference.
The game in question took place on a cloudy Tuesday afternoon at IMSA’s home field on the 24th of September. The preceding shower had left the field slick and moist. Coming off of a 0-2 defeat against Glenbard South, the Titans needed a win, but it didn’t look like it was going to be easy—Somonauk were the top-ranked team in the conference. Sure enough, midway through the first half, the visitors struck first, and soon the Titans were down two goals to none.
Nonetheless, the team persisted, and after a period of control over the game, they managed to score. But even at 1-2, the Titans were determined not to end the first half as the losing team. And with just moments left in the game, something miraculous happened. Eager to get the team forward, an IMSA player sent the ball towards the opponent’s goal, but it looked as if they over-hit it. The goalie was going to get it. And while the other team stood and waited to see the goalkeeper make a simple catch, one player on the Titans kept running forward. And with some help from the rain earlier, the goalkeeper dropped the wet ball and Axel Aguilar (Jr.) scored to level the game.
At the start of the second half, the teams contested each other for the better part of the half. Somonauk looked shaky, but IMSA struggled to finish their chances in front of goal. Then, with just over four minutes left to play, the Titans earned a free kick from the halfway line. Lured by a lofted ball aimed at the inside of the goalie box, the Somonauk goalkeeper came forwards only to see the ball bounce around with all the players in the box. It seemed as if nearly every player from both sides were in the same twelve yards of space. After a seemingly endless exchange that lasted only a few seconds, IMSA’s Ryan Kim tapped the ball in to seal the 3-2 comeback over Somonauk. The whole team got up on their feet to celebrate.
Ironically, players would also remember another game versus Somonauk, but for different reasons. When asked about the lowest point in the season, most members decided that the second time they played Somonauk was the worst moment for them, and it’s not hard to see why. The game was a conference match that would see the winners play in the finals, but ultimately, the Titans could not replicate their previous performance and left with a 0-3 defeat. Since it was towards the end of the season, the team’s progress up to that point seemed to be obscured, like clouds blocking out sunlight. As senior Jeffrey Yao reflected, “We were the better team, but we didn’t capitalize on our chances.” Seemingly a step backwards, the coaches ensured that the players knew such a performance was unacceptable.
While the Somonauk games will be unknown to most IMSA students, the one that the student body will remember most was the homecoming game against Schaumburg Christian. It was a heated match that saw a large turnout from the student body, who witnessed the Titans suffer a 1-3 defeat under the looming floodlights. Though the audience cheered as the home team scored a goal to lower the opponent’s lead, ultimately the Titans dug themselves a hole too deep for them to climb out of. But at the end of the day, it was an exciting and fervid match, with several yellow cards shown towards the end. Some players felt that the game was “unlucky,” like seniors Ibrahim Bah and Jacob Nendza, who felt that the department “probably could have picked a better school to play for homecoming” but agreed that “they were fun” and hoped that next year’s homecoming would align with senior night to give the seniors more recognition.
After interviewing some members of the team, the difference between this year’s and last year’s seasons is clear. IMSA boys varsity soccer, spearheaded by a new coaching staff, is beginning to evolve for the better. Overall, players thought that there was a lot of growth this season, even if there were few results to show for it. Departing seniors like Jacob Nendza “hope to continue to see the program grow” and “continue to see an increased commitment from the guys on the team,” saying that players should “want to win, want to show up, and want to get better.” To address the lack of results this season, Jeffrey Yao believes that “we get unlucky with the results” and that the team is capable of playing “the best soccer in the conference.” As a veteran IMSA soccer athlete, like Jacob Nendza, he was excited that the team was “definitely a lot better this year,” even if they “should have won more games.” As another one of the seniors that are graduating this year, Jeffrey hopes to see the team win the conference next year and overcome their mental barriers and gain more confidence. As he puts it, “Once you guys figure that out, there’s nothing stopping you.”
All things considered, the IMSA boys soccer team has an exciting opportunity, with a new set of sophomore players and coaches, to develop and grow the program to fulfill the team’s potential . Additionally, it seems that they are already taking measures in the right direction, with many seasoned players agreeing that the team is improving rapidly. They hope to see more interest in the sport in the next few years, with hopes to build up a JV team to better aid the development of our players. In the upcoming season, players and fans can expect that the coaches will be working hard to continue this change in IMSA’s soccer culture and can be reassured that no matter what, this team will be determined to continue growing.
Season Awards, voted by interviewees:
MVP: Axel Aguilar
As a junior and a team captain, Axel Aguilar dominated the offense of the IMSA boys team, scoring ten goals after changing his position from left back to striker. Players said that he “has a lot of passion for the game,” and there is little doubt that Axel will be one of the leaders of the IMSA team next season in his senior year.
Most Clutch: Adi Hansoty
One of the veteran seniors of the team and a permanent fixture in the team’s backline, there is one thing that you can be certain about when you see him play—at some point in time, some way or another, Adi Hansoty will pull off a last-minute tackle on a helpless opponent who naively thought that they were free on a breakaway to goal. As such, there was little disagreement amongst the team for nominating him the most clutch player. As Jeffrey Yao put it, “that’s my guy.”
Unsung Hero: Jacob Nendza
An unsung hero is a player who contributes much to the team but gets little recognition for it. Naturally, the goalkeeper of the team is the perfect match for this award, especially IMSA’s most experienced goalkeeper, Jacob Nendza. Each match Jacob works hard to provide a reliable defensive performance so that the team can build up their attack. As an individual, he is humble and hard-working, and as a captain of the team he works hard to help out the younger players and guide the team.
Team Mascots: Tony Han, Henry Maginel
When Jeffrey Yao said that the “vibes were better” this season compared to last, he was referring to the strong chemistry of the team this year. Players had a strong bond with each other and many became friends after playing together. Team members like Henry Maginel and Tony Han largely contributed to this positive atmosphere, always trying (or not trying) to make people laugh. The mentality of a team is crucial to its development and success, and as such, the mascots deserve recognition for their part in keeping up the positivity.
Most Improved: Aadarsh Sivaraman, Henry Maginel, George Welson
Like previously talked about with the team’s positive mentality, many players were committed to becoming better. The season lasts for only a short amount of time, especially since most other schools have an extra two weeks on IMSA, but regardless, these three players worked hard to improve themselves with the little time they had. This trend will be something that players and coaches hope to see continue into next season. If so, there’s no saying as to what the team may be able to accomplish.
I went to one of the games. It was great. More folks need to attend the soccer games! And IMSA won.