ETHS boys soccer had one of the most successful seasons in recent memory. Following an 18-2-2 record led by a stellar defense, the squad ended their season with a 2-1 loss to St. Patrick in the sectional final.
The defeat against St. Pats was only the fourth time all year where the Kits allowed more than one goal in a game. In those games, the Kits were 1-1-2. In addition to their loss against St. Patrick, they were defeated by New Trier 4-0 on Oct. 1.
On Oct. 29, the Kits avenged their only loss of the regular season with a sectional semifinal win against their arch rivals. The Kits, seeded third, defeated the second seed Trevians 1-0 on a free kick by senior captain Quinn Ackman, which advanced them to play the top ranked Shamrocks.
“We had big goals. We wanted to make it further in the playoffs than we did in the last few years,” Ackman said. “We wanted to try and get down state, we didn’t get that but we did get our trophy back from New Trier, got another regional plaque, put up one of the best records in our Evanston history so there’s still a lot to be proud of.”
Ackman attributes part of the success of this year’s team to the leadership of the 18 seniors and the sense of shared camaraderie among teammates.
Ackman’s co-captain Morais Lee also acknowledges the positive impact from the lost of this season. Despite losing their last game, senior captains have a constructive outlook on the season.
“Overall, our season took a path we all didn’t want, but maybe the path it took was a path for us being better, if not, a greater person or soccer player. We’ll just move on with goals rather than regrets,” Lee said.
While ETHS’ season ended earlier than hoped, all they accomplished won’t be forgotten. From an unbreakable bond, to continuing their streak of eight regional championships, this team has nothing to be ashamed of.
“The team’s bond was great. We brought everybody in and we all became one real quick. While there were a lot of seniors, it was still a new team so it was really easy to mold together,” Ackman said.
