ROCHELLE — The Hubs varsity soccer team exceeded expectations in 2017, and a big reason for Rochelle’s surprising success was the play of three boys who received First-Team All-Conference honors for their performances this fall.

Junior Jessee Infante made things difficult on the front end for many of Rochelle’s opponents, scoring a team-high 27 goals while leading the Hubs with 18 assists. Infante moved up to forward this season after playing midfielder in 2016.

“It feels like a reward for how much work I’ve put in this season,” Infante said. “I tried my hardest every game. I made some good off-the-ball movements… I like to dribble the ball a lot so I think my passing can improve and I can release the ball earlier.”

Junior Adolfo Flores changed the game in the midfield area for Rochelle, recording 16 assists and three goals for the Hubs this year. Flores didn’t play for Rochelle in either his sophomore season or his freshman season, but he had no problem blending in with his teammates.

“It’s such an honor,” Flores said. “We all worked really hard. Our biggest strength was our chemistry on the field. There were some mistakes, but we can fix them for next year and hopefully we can make it far next year.”

Rounding out Rochelle’s First-Team All-Conference honorees was freshman Brayan Orozco, who finished second in goals with 23 while adding eight assists. Orozco impressed head coach Brad Male in his first year of varsity soccer, and Orozco will be an integral part of Rochelle’s core for the next few years.

The Hubs finished 12-8-1 in 2017, winning the War on 34 Tournament while advancing to the IHSA Class 2A Regional Finals against Kaneland. Nearly all of Rochelle’s players are eligible to return in 2018.

“Individually, we should continue getting better,” Infante said. “Our chemistry will always be there, but if everybody gets better individually, then we’ll build a stronger team.”