Boys Soccer won their third preseason match, 1-0, defeating San Juan Hills on Dec. 3rd. After the disappointing loss on Wednesday, the win left the team with high hopes for the rest of the season.  

“We played well . . . this was definitely a good bounce back game,” sophomore Beckhem Saeng said.

Saeng was able to contribute to the team’s victory with the winning goal off a header. In the final half of the game, senior Jackson Zambo crossed the ball to the back post, where Saeng headed it in.  

Senior Asher Do attributes the win to the team’s strive and determination, especially from the defense, who played a major part in the team’s success.

“We played very organized in defense and we wanted the game more than [the other team] did. I could tell we put more effort into the 50/50 balls and put everything into winning the ball back when we lost it,” Do said. “[An] overall solid win.” 

Despite the victory, the team had many challenges and recognized opportunities for future improvements. A significant amount of the team’s players were injured and unable to compete. 

“Our whole team struggled with injury . . . because we had a game two days before and we were missing eight key players due to club games. But we came out with only 17 players and fought through the adversity,” Saeng said. 

Senior captain Mateus Souza was pleased with the team’s performance, but also highlighted the team’s disadvantage due to many missing starters. 

“Overall, I think it was a great performance given the 11 missing players for the day, multiple being usual starters for the squad. I am very proud of the team and I believe it was a great way to kick off the season with a win and a shutout and we hope for many more,” Souza said. 

Zambo expressed similar thoughts about the team’s potential for growth.

“It was a good team win. We definitely have some areas to improve on, but it’s always good to see some successes,” Zambo said. 

The team’s next home match will be on Dec. 7th at 5:00 PM against Santa Ana.