On Friday Nov. 8, Hinsdale Central and Edwardsville High School faced off at the Hoffman Estates High School for the third-place playoff game in the IHSA Class 3A boys soccer finals Saturday morning. Hinsdale Central was victorious in the match with a final score of 3-1.
Hinsdale Central had lost in the tournament’s first semifinal to Arlington Heights Hersey, 0-1, the night before, putting them into the third-place game against Edwardsville, who lost to Chicago Lane Tech 2-3.
The Red Devils struck first in the eighth minute with a goal by Matt Gantar, off an assist from Austen Szurgot. The offense kept the pace up and scored two more times, making the lead 3-0 by halftime.
In the 57th minute, Edwardsville cut the lead down with a successful penalty shot. The Edwardsville offense attempted to play aggressive but the Red Devils defense stood tall against the pressure. The Edwardsville Tigers were unable to score for the rest of the game and Hinsdale Central preserved a win to gain third place in the state finals.
Michael Wiggins, head coach of the soccer team, is pleased with the performance of his players.
(Kennedy Hannah)
“The team played amazing and never let up, especially after halftime to end the match with impeccable defense,” Wiggins said.
Although the team and Hinsdale Central spectators would have loved a championship, the team is still happy with the results.
“We kept hustling and stayed persistent throughout the season…We played our best and that’s all that matters,” said Christopher Koulouris, varsity soccer player.
Spectators enjoyed the game as well.
“It was a great experience to watch both teams battle it out…I’m happy that our team appeared in the finals and had the chance to compete against top teams in our state,” said Nathan Levendel, senior.
The Red Devils ended the season with a record of 16-9-1. Michael Wiggins said that the players were resilient and persevering game after game throughout the whole season. Hinsdale Central finished first in the Silver Conference with a record of 5-1, with Lyons Township, Oak Park-River Forest, and York right below with a record of 4-2.
To read more about the Boys soccer team click here.
