STILLMAN VALLEY — The Rochelle Hub varsity soccer team scored a set of victories over the weekend, when the purple and white took third out of eight teams in the annual Colin Smith Invitational at Stillman Valley High School. Rochelle (2-2, 0-0 Interstate 8) will hit the road for a match at Mendota on Wednesday evening before hosting Sterling on Thursday evening.

The Hubs kicked off the tournament with an opening-round victory Friday evening, defeating Roanoke-Benson 7-0 behind a hat trick from senior forward Alberto Casillas. Rochelle moved into the semifinals, where the Hubs conceded a 2-1 loss to Peoria Richwoods before ending the tournament with a 3-2 win over Lincoln in the third-place consolation match Saturday afternoon. 

“I thought we did really well overall,” head coach Brad Male said. “I was very pleased with how we played and I hope that we can continue that level of play throughout the season. The biggest positive from the tournament was that we worked well as a team. Our defensive line worked together well and we transitioned into our offense well. I thought we moved the ball well.”

Roanoke-Benson

Five different players scored goals for the Hubs during Friday’s win against Roanoke-Benson. Juniors Heilly Zepeda and Antonio Ruiz Cortabitarte each had goals for the Rochelle offense, while sophomore Danny Garcia and freshman Saul Avila each contributed goals as well. Junior Antonio Hueramo had four saves for the Hubs, who totaled 14 shots and nine shots on goal.

Peoria Richwoods

Rochelle took a 1-0 lead over Peoria Richwoods during the 26th minute, when senior forward Alberto Casillas cashed in an unassisted goal to give the Hubs an early advantage. Rochelle carried its one-goal lead into the second half, where Peoria Richwoods took control of the match behind game-tying and go-ahead goals in the 52nd and 66th minutes. Junior Antonio Hueramo recorded eight saves for the Hubs, who were outshot 18-10 and 17-4 in shots on goal.

Lincoln

Rochelle fell behind 1-0 after Lincoln scored its first goal of the match in the first minute of play. The Hubs evened the score during the 12th minute, when senior midfielder Bryan Garcia booted in the first of his two goals against the Railsplitters. Rochelle took a 2-1 lead over Lincoln after senior forward Alberto Casillas found the back of the Lincoln net during the 23rd minute. 

The Hubs extended their one-goal lead midway through the second half, surging ahead 3-1 after Garcia scored in the 54th minute. Lincoln fought back with a goal during the 73th minute, but the Rochelle defense held strong over the final minutes to preserve the victory. Rochelle outshot Lincoln 16-12 and owned a 9-6 advantage in shots on goal. Junior Antonio Hueramo had two saves for the Hubs, who earned four corner kicks and drew 13 fouls in the win.