On December 2nd, Boys Soccer faced off against Huntington Beach in their inaugural match of the season, beating their opponents 4-0. 
Huntington Beach is a Division 1 school that UHS faces off annually against in pre-season, raising the intensity of the game.
“Although this was a pre-season game was an intense one… it almost felt as if it was a CIF game,” senior fullback Ethan Wang said.
Despite the scoreline, the team initially struggled in possession against Huntington. However, the first goal of the game from senior winger Kaili Chen opened up their opponents. 
“We started off a bit shaky but once we were able to get our first goal we started to play the way we wanted to, we completely controlled the game from there,” junior winger Rohit Chawla said.
After the first goal, the team dominated possession, allowing only three shots on goal. However, despite creating a lot of chances, their finishing could have been improved upon.
“We played great creating lots of opportunities,” Chen said. “We should have beaten [Huntington] by a lot more…we only converted a few of the many chances that we created, but that’s something we can fix in the long run.”
Despite the victory, the team still looks to build on their chemistry as the season progresses, as only half of their starters against Huntington started last season.
“I think we just need to get used to playing together which will happen naturally throughout the season. Once everyone gets on the same page and understands how each other plays, things will get much easier,” senior captain Adam Bello said.
After losing in overtime in the CIF playoffs last season, the team hopes for an even more successful season. 
“Our goal is to win PCL and to constantly improve. We hope to make a further run in CIF than we did last year,” Chen said.
The team’s next match will be on December 11th against Newport Harbor.