The Hubs varsity soccer team lost roughly half of its players to graduation this past year, but after a dominant performance at the 2017 War on 34 Tournament, Rochelle could be destined for a quicker rebuild than expected.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account and connect your subscription to it by clicking here.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active, online-only subscription then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
EARLVILLE — The Hubs varsity soccer team lost roughly half of its players to graduation this past year, but after a dominant performance at the 2017 War on 34 Tournament, Rochelle could be destined for a quicker rebuild than expected.
With just two seniors and 12 underclassmen, the Hubs may not have as much varsity experience as other programs, but the boys didn’t let youth get in the way of winning three straight games this past weekend to take the tournament title. Rochelle kicked off its season on Friday, cruising over Joliet Catholic by a score of 7-1 behind five second-half goals.
“It’s always interesting to see where you’re at during the first game of the season,” head coach Brad Male said. “I was really positive about the kids, and they worked really hard over the offseason so I was looking for good things from them.”
The Hubs led 2-0 at halftime before outscoring Joliet Catholic 5-1 in the second half. Freshman Brayan Orozco led Rochelle with two goals and one assist, while five other players scored once including sophomore Max Torres and junior Jessee Infante, who recorded a team-high three assists in the win.
“It was surprising to see how much we’ve improved our communication since last year,” said Torres, who totaled one goal and two assists over the weekend. “We trusted each other around the ball, and starting 3-0 is amazing. Most of us have been playing with each other since elementary school… We already knew each other, and last year we didn’t really know the seniors but we still played really well.”
Rochelle continued its tournament run on Saturday with a 5-0 victory over the Dixon Dukes. The Hubs spread the wealth once again, with five players scoring once including junior Adolfo Flores, who led Rochelle with one goal and three assists. Senior Komla Gati (one goal and one assist), junior Josue Almaraz (one goal) and freshman Zane Walters (one goal) were also big contributors.
“Winning the tournament on Saturday felt great,” said Flores, who finished the weekend with two goals and three assists. “I believe we can go far this season. We just have to keep working hard… We’ve played together since we were a little and chemistry plays an important role in soccer.”
With two wins under their belt, the Hubs took on the Morris Redskins Saturday afternoon for the tournament title. Rochelle led 2-1 after the first half, and the Hubs added an insurance goal in the second half to hold on by a score of 3-2. Infante and Orozco accounted for Rochelle’s three goals, with Torres and sophomore Austin Brown combining for three assists. Junior Mason DeLille recorded a tournament-high six saves to anchor the Rochelle defense.
“We have such a strong back wall,” said DeLille, who totaled 14 saves over three games. “With Ruben [Herrera], Chucho [Nava], Juan [Montemayor] and Josue back there, they don’t let anything by them. It’s better for our team as a whole to keep the ball from getting back to me. The win boosts our morale and it gives us more confidence going into our upcoming games.”
The Hubs return to action this week with nonconference road games against Belvidere, Leland-Earlville-Paw Paw and Somonauk. Rochelle will then attempt to defend its title at the Oregon Junior Varsity Tournament this coming weekend.
