Soccer sets record

Warhawks winning streak up to 13 games

Ross Guyette, Assistant Sports Reporter

This year has already proved a hard and hectic schedule for coach Tony Guinn’s team. Four matchups in one week would usually take its toll on a team riding high, but not for the Warhawks. They rumbled through each opponent securing four wins in a lot of different ways. This extended their record setting win streak to 13 in a row, dating back to last season.

Being able to take home victories against Lawrence University 7-0 on Sept. 9 was a blowout. Junior forward Jason Ranck came off the bench to score a hat trick for the Warhawks, who were able to let bench players see the field in the 2nd half.

Against Marian University on Sept. 11, the Warhawks had to come from behind to earn a 3-2 victory to keep the streak alive. After giving up a PK to go behind 1-0 in the first half, the Warhawks scored three unanswered goals, including two by Hozai Ceballos to secure the win.

Edgewood’s matchup was a true test of wills with no room for error. Heading into the second half of the game tied 0-0, Senior Hozai Ceballos scored a goal to break the deadlock with 11 minutes left. The win allowed the team to keep their streak alive in hopes of rewriting history.

The schedule gave the Warhawks the opportunity to set a new school record of consecutive wins heading into Saturday’s matchup against Rockford in Illinois. A victory Saturday night meant that the Warhawks rewrote the history books securing a 13th straight victory.

It’s not everyday you have an opportunity to make history for a team you represent but that was the exact opportunity that Junior midfielder Jake Farley found himself in.

“We wanted it more than anything, we try to get our guys in the best position to score and try to establish the best game plans possible, that doesn’t just happen, we have to put in the time to know what to do.  We wanted to keep our legs fresh and stay healthy while executing on the field,” Farley said.

It was his first goal of the season.

One key to this hot streak has been the experience of the Warhawks.

“We have a championship mentality,” said captain Taylor Ortiz. “We are super excited to prove ourselves worthy of another victory. Every game is one at a time. We have a difficult schedule which makes preparation just that much more important. Games like this will prepare us for when our legs get tired later in the season as we prepare for the NCAA tournament.”

Managing expectations has helped the Warhawks stay focused during this record setting run.

“We battle every day, we want to win each day, we want to manage our emotions and look at it incrementally,” said senior Trevor Johnson. “We stick to the same routine and work hard. We are very demanding of each other.”

Achievement can be infectious, and it seems this team is ready to make their own legacy. Going forward, this streak can be as long as the Warhawks maintain their poise. The next game is away against Millikan University on Sept 18 in Decatur, Illinois.