HINCKLEY – Thanks to a huge offensive output in the second half, the Hinckley-Big Rock boys soccer team defeated St. Edward, 6-3, Friday in the Class 1A Hinckley Big Regional championship game.
The first half was tight, with the Green Wave getting on the board first when Royals’ goalkeeper Dylan Youhanaie dropped a ball he had saved. But the Royals were able to tie it up with a Dakota Sleeth goal, making it a 1-all tie at halftime.
“I’ll give St. Edward credit,” H-BR coach Paul Taeuber said. “They came out and were playing so hard that they were going to capitalize on any of our mistakes. And shortly into the game, they were able to do that.”
In the second half, the Royals came out and immediately put pressure on the Green Wave. Tate Sanderson scored eight minutes into the half, which started a scoring spree of four goals in five minutes, including three in 90 seconds. After Sanderson’s goal, Sleeth scored his second, followed by two consecutive goals from Royals midfielder Cory Schleifer, putting the Royals up 5-1.
The Green Wave battled back for two more goals to make it 5-3, but Schleifer rounded out his hat trick with another goal with less than 10 minutes remaining to ice the game and the regional championship for Hinckley-Big Rock.
“In the second half, we were able to possess in the middle and play outside,” Schleifer said. “We finished out opportunities. Especially after the first goal, we were able to get a spark off of that. And Jack Bullard and Alex Perales really were able to control the middle.”
Bullard assisted on all three of Schleifer’s goals, and Taeuber had high praise for his captains.
“Jack is such a great passer,” Taeuber said. “In the scheme we’re running now, he’s so good at drawing attention to himself and then finding those passing lanes. And Alex has just gotten so strong and so physical so quickly, I don’t know if I’ve seen any one person really beat him all season.”
The Royals will play Oregon in a Aurora Central Catholic Sectional semifinal at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Aurora.