The Jesuit Men’s JV soccer team faced off against the Guardians of Ida B. Wells on September 14th, 2023, pulling off a 3-1 victory on their home field.
The game was played in an unusual spot at the back grass field, but that didn’t stop the squad from performing.
The first half was a bit shaky for the crusaders, both sides scoreless after the whistle. Jesuit mostly struggled to maintain possession of the ball in the mid-field, but also had some huge missed opportunities.
Carlos Botiva-Garcia (26’), gave his thoughts on the first half.
“We’re getting used to the grass, we are mostly used to playing on turf. We need to work on making better passes and creating better opportunities.”
The Crusaders began the second half in better form, boosting their confidence after a huge goal from Sutton Neil (26’). The goal was off a deflection that soared over the Wells keeper and ended at the back of the net.
A few minutes later, John Francisco took a very coordinated shot at the bottom right of the goal to give the Crusaders an exciting 2-0 lead, but the Guardians still showed some hope.
Wells responded, getting a shot on goal that went past the hands of Crusader goalkeeper Jack Newman (27’). Although they were unable to score a given penalty due to Jack making an incredible save.
Gavin Clark (25’) was then able to seal the deal with a great shot on the top right inside the box. He also gave his insight on his goal and the rest of the game: “It felt magical. Especially to close out such a tough win in front of my teammates and the parents.”
