Meintser Momentum Comes to a Halt in Soccer’s Opening Week of District Play

Jesuit vs. JJ Pearce – 1/10

Beginning district play on the road, the varsity squad traveled to JJ Pearce to face a familiar district foe. Coming off the first Meintser Tournament championship victory since 2016, the Rangers looked to continue their undefeated start to the season. However, JJ Pearce wasn’t a team to take lightly. Their soccer program has consistently produced quality teams for the last few years and has proven itself to be a juggernaut in District 7-6A. The rangers began the game with a similar lineup from the tournament with sophomores Noah McGough and Mario Zamora making their district play debut. Kicking off the match, play remained at a stalemate with few chances being created from both sides. Senior keeper Cole Hines picked up a save in the 11th minute, and fellow senior keeper Chris Rodriguez recorded three saves in the second half. With Jesuit only tallying three shots on the goal, the game concluded in a 0-0 tie. Although the Rangers couldn’t notch up any goals, they demonstrated impressive defensive ability in holding off JJ Pearce.

Jesuit vs. Irving – 1/13

The following Friday, Jesuit looked to take on Irving’s squad in the Ranger’s district home opener. Irving, another district juggernaut, made Jesuit’s first week of district abnormally difficult. Play began with Irving comfortably holding possession, demonstrating their impressive technical ability to maneuver around Jesuit defenders. At the end of the first half, Irving held the lead at 2-0. Jesuit struggled to create opportunities as Irving dominated the game. In the 2nd half, Irving quickly put another goal on the board and seemingly secured the win. However, the Rangers were not going down without a fight. To attempt to get back into the game, George Horvat went in for a challenge and awkwardly planted his foot, sending him to the ground. After a few minutes on the field, Horvat was carted off the field with a torn ACL and meniscus. With Jesuit’s defensive backbone out, their motivation crumbled resulting in another goal from Irving, finishing the game with a 4-0 win.

Coming Up

With a disappointing start to district play, Jesuit has plenty more games to compete in. However, with a tie & loss, this may serve as a wake-up call for the Rangers as they look ahead toward the rest of their schedule. Losing George Horvat, one of their key foundational players, will definitely be a huge obstacle for the rest of the season, but there’s no adversity that the Rangers can’t overcome. Reinforcing this message, junior midfielder, Caleb Fisher ’24 reflected “we are not defined by our losses,” his statement displaying the team’s positive outlook on the season. Injured George Horvat ’24 also mentioned how, “the team will start to pick it up as the season starts rolling,” a hopeful message that portrays his faith in the team. Coming up, they’ll take on Irving Nimitz at Ranger Stadium on Friday, January 20 and on Tuesday Jesuit travels to play Irving MacArthur Tuesday @ 7:15. They’ll surely be looking to bounce back as they search for their first district victory of the 2023 season.

Stay tuned to The Roundup for more soccer updates!