Jesuit’s Varsity soccer team kicked – pun intended – off the season on January 3rd. A mixture of wins and losses are making it hard to gauge whether this soccer season will be one to remember – or one to forget. Lets recap the games, recap the highlights, and see what Coach DeLong and the players think!
Jesuit Dallas v. Skyline HS, January 3rd
The Rangers lost the opening game against Skyline Raiders with a score of 0-1, ending our seven-year, 6-0-2 (wins – losses – ties) hot streak against Skyline.
#7 Arnold Perez ’22 performed the best, hitting three shots and one shot-on-goal, quickly followed by #2 James McCrea ’23 and #21 Josh Roppolo ’23 who both scored two shots and one shot-on-goal.
The goalkeepers,#50 Christian Rodriguez ’23 and #55 Cole Hines ’23, together had five saves.
Ultimately, a penalty kick by the Raiders was the deciding point determining this intense game.
Meinster Tournament, January 6-8th
Jesuit hosted the 2022 Meinster Tournament this year. Students watched the games live from Hughe’s Hall via stream, or in person – if they could bare the cold of course.
The Rangers won their first game against the Nolan Catholic Vikings with a score of 1-0.
James McCrea shot the winning point, assisted by Arnold Perez. Our fiery offense consisted of twenty-six shots and fourteen shots-on-goal, compared to the Viking’s four shots and one shot-on-goal.
Nice teamwork to go ahead 1-0. @JesuitAthletics pic.twitter.com/aMazfRcNSg
— Jesuit Dallas Soccer (@JesuitSoccer) January 6, 2022
Unfortunately, the Rowlett Eagles shut down our momentum, winning the game 2-1.
But the tournament wasn’t over and the Ranger’s were next up to fight the McKinney Lions.
The game was intense. Neither the Rangers nor the Lions could penetrate each others defense. After regulation, the teams had a 0-0 score; however, goalkeepers Cole Hines and Christian Rodriquez each had four saves. These personal scores handed the Rangers the game victory and third place, Meinster Tournament trophy.
Jesuit Dallas v. Trinity Christian Academy, January 14th
Last Friday, the Rangers dominated the TCA Trojans with a 6-0 victory.
Arnold Perez was the star of the show, scoring one goal during the first half, and another three in the next. Josh Roppolo scored his first goal of the season, and James McCrea also joined the fun, scoring a goal in the second quarter.
Jesuit Dallas v. Sachse HS, January 18th
The Rangers faced off against the Sachse Mustangs and nearly came out on top. #9 Jack Fischer ’22 scored his first goal of the season, with an assist by Arnold Perez.
However, the Mustangs scored at the very end of the second quarter, making it a 1-1 tie.
The Rangers ended their non-district games 3-2-1.
Jesuit Dallas v. J.J. Pearce, January 25th
For our first district game, we went against the Mustangs again, this time from J.J. Pearce HS.
Considering the Mustangs strong record in this season’s non-district play, it was no surprise that they beat our Rangers 0-2.
Regardless, goalkeepers, Christian Rodriguez and Cole Hines, together had eight saves, and denied J.J. Pearce a sweeping victory.
Comments from the Coach and Players
Arnold Perez, midfielder and the teams highest scorer, stated –
“Our chemistry on and off the field is really what is fueling us to play better each game. I think we’re barely scratching what we can achieve as a team, and since we have many underclassmen, it leaves room for development. As the team develops we’ll only get better and better.
Our goal is always to make playoffs, but we really want to make a statement in our district by getting 1st or 2nd. We’ve been prepping for the lake highlands game by incorporating small sided drills that force us to concentrate on our passing; we’ve improved everyday and you can’t ask for much more. Overall I’ve been extremely impressed with how we’ve come together as a team and I’m extremely excited to see how far we can go.”
Head Varsity Coach, Coach Charlie DeLong, stated –
We’re focusing on hard mental and physical work, seeking individual and collective improvement, and having fun. If we do these things consistently then we will have good game performances.
So far this year’s team is doing all the above – they’re a fun group to work with.”
That wraps up this soccer recap. Tune into the Roundup for district soccer coverage!
