SYCAMORE — Strong winds made it difficult for the Hub varsity soccer team to clear any balls away from the defensive zone during Rochelle’s road match against Sycamore on Monday.

The Spartans dominated the ball for nearly the entire match, using the wind to their advantage and scoring on multiple long-range shots to cruise over the Hubs 8-0. Rochelle (1-3-1) will host Ottawa on Wednesday before battling Indian Creek in nonconference play Thursday evening.

“Sycamore has a tough squad, but I don’t think the score shows how hard our guys fought,” head coach Brad Male said. “We battled with them for a little while, but we unfortunately couldn’t get anything on the board. We have a few things we need to work on offensively. The wind definitely was a factor and I thought there were a couple through balls that otherwise wouldn’t have gotten through our defense. But we couldn’t capitalize on the wind today.”

Leading 1-0 early in the match, Sycamore extended its advantage in the 12^th minute, sending a left-footed cross into the Rochelle box and cashing in the assist. The Spartans scored their next two goals in the 17^th and 30^th minutes on shots from well outside the Hub box, with the wind carrying the ball over the heads of multiple defenders and into the back of the Rochelle net.

Monday’s winds made saves tough for Hub goalkeeper Diego Cincire, who had a shot deflect off his fingertips into the Rochelle net during the 31^st minute before Sycamore fired a shot that rolled through Cincire’s legs in the 36^th minute. The Spartans initiated the shortened second-half clock with a goal in the 42^nd minute before icing the win with a goal in the 44^th minute.