After their matchups with Jacobs and Glenbrook South resulted in ties, the Evanston Township High School boys’ soccer team looked to get back in the win column against Maine West on Sept. 17.
The Wildkits were able to do just that, beating the Warriors by a score of 1-0 on a warm afternoon at Lazier Field in Evanston. After playing a scoreless first half, despite both teams having ample chances to score, the Kits were able to break through when senior midfielder Dylan Termolen broke the stalemate by scoring with 12:51 remaining in the second half. That goal proved to be the difference, as the Kits were able to keep the visitors off the board the rest of the way, earning the 1-0 victory.
Regarding the fateful play, Dylan said, “I was actually about to take the free kick, then [senior defenseman] Danny Managlia pushed me off the ball and said, ‘I got it.’ Then I just kind of ran in and it sailed over me. Then in the scrum, it just came back to me, and I did not really hit it right but just got it over the line.”
Dylan added, “I thought it was a good team effort. I thought we managed the game and we were finally able to get one at the end. We got a little lucky towards the end, because it could have gone either way.”
Kits head coach Franz Calixte said, “Story of our season,” as he spoke about his team’s struggles to put the ball in the back of the net despite creating scoring chances. “When we do play well, we create chances. But it is not too much of a concern right now, but when we do get those chances, we need to put them away.”
Of Dylan’s performance, Calixte said, “Dylan has been fantastic. He is our captain, and he is a leader by example. We put him in a different position at the beginning of the game [as] we made a last second decision to try him as the target forward,” explained the Coach. “He was out of place, but he still played well. But he never said, ‘Oh, I cannot do that,’ he just gets in there and plays wherever the team needs him.” The Coach added, “So he is having a great year, and that was a big goal.”
Indeed. Dylan’s goal helped the Kits improve their record to 7-0-2 overall. When asked how he felt the season is going, Coach Calixte said, “So far so good. There are times that we look really good. But overall, we are not quite there yet. I think that happens when you only have four returning players.”
The Coach continued, “So it is going to take time for the kids to get comfortable with the pressure of varsity, because every game they play, there is some pressure.” He added, “So they come on the field and they look nervous, they look like a new team, which they are. But hopefully by midway through the season, we will be comfortable and embrace that pressure.”
The Wildkits lost to Maine South, 2-0 on Sept. 20. The Kits hope to embrace the pressure of playing another Central Suburban League South Conference foe as they visit Niles West tonight. Then they return to Lazier Field to take on Warren on Sept. 24, followed by a matchup with Niles North on Sept. 27.