On Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, the Libertyville boys varsity soccer team took on the Stevenson Patriots in their homecoming game on the stadium field. Though the Patriots took home the 3-2 win, Libertyville held their own over both halves and put up a fight against the highly-ranked Stevenson.
Libertyville was an underdog heading into the match, with a record of 5-6-3. Stevenson, now ranked ninth in the state, had a much better record of 13-2-1. Despite this, the game started off very slowly with neither side letting up a goal.
Stevenson started with the ball; however, possession was back and forth throughout the entire first half. Despite seniors Oliver Allen (15) and Mateo Portillo (10) taking the ball all the way into the heart of Stevenson territory, neither team scored a goal during the first half.
As the rain began to pour, the second half started scoreless.
Sophomore Jackson Kern (16), who plays right and left wing for the varsity team, said that he loves “the intensity throughout the game. We’re all family. We’re connected.”
The second half saw Stevenson throw everything they had at the Wildcats. In less than 10 minutes, three different Patriot players scored goals against Libertyville, giving Stevenson a 3-0 lead with just over 18 minutes to go. Still, the home team fought back.
For senior Luke Kallieris (11), a right back for the team, a key takeaway from the game was “perseverance.”
We had them in the first half. We were controlling them. And you can’t let life slip away from you,” he said.
With about four minutes left in the game, momentum turned to favor the home team. Portillo went for a penalty kick and scored Libertyville’s first goal of the game. The team went wild as Stevenson’s attempt at a shutout crumbled. ith just under 10 seconds left in the game, Portillo scored again; however, ultimately the game ended as a 3-2 Wildcat loss.
Portillo, a striker and captain for the team, said that the team wants to improve “the mental aspect.”
I feel like on the field we have everything that we need to do. But it’s just the final push, the mental strength that will get us there,” he explained.
Libertyville’s near-comeback made for an exciting second half and gave the team a lot to take away. The last few minutes of the game saw Libertyville facing both Stevenson and a dwindling amount of time. Portillo’s two goals within five minutes of each other were clear standout moments for the home team, but the rest of their offense and defense managed to hold up to a similar standard.
“One thing I’m proud of is honestly just how far we came,” junior Nicky Dawson (4) said. “This is one of our first seasons together. We have a lot of players who have never played varsity soccer before and we made it really far as a team.”
The team’s next game will be on Thursday, Oct. 12, at home against the Vernon Hills Cougars.