Wheaton Warrenville South forward Semin Razman did it again.

In what has become a yearly tradition, the senior bagged the game-winning goal as the Tigers knocked off visiting Wheaton North 2-0 on Thursday at Red Grange Field.

WW South has now won the annual showdown for the Wheaton Cup six consecutive years.

Wheaton North coach Joe Klingelhoffer is getting tired of watching Razman work his magic against his team.

“That kid is a good player,” Klingelhoffer said. “I’ve had to see him score a goal on us for three straight years. He finds the pocket and he got it in there.”

For good measure, Razman also assisted on junior forward Joaquin Martinez’s insurance goal.

“Every year, the Wheaton Cup is a different environment,” Razman said. “No matter how good the other team is, it’s always a close game.

“We’re all battling 100%, just constant pressure. I feel like we worked hard, and in the second half we flipped the switch.”

Indeed, in the first half it was the Falcons (1-7, 0-2 DuKane Conference) who had the upper hand. They outshot the Tigers (3-3-1, 1-0-1) by a 6-1 margin but had nothing to show for it.

Several attempts just missed, including two free kicks from senior midfielder Ryder Froebe that sailed perhaps a foot over the crossbar. The Falcons have scored only five goals so far.

“I thought in the first half we played really well,” Froebe said. “We got our chances but we just can’t finish one.

“We’re struggling to finish one all year. Every game, once we see one goal in our net, we all get our heads down and feel like we’re going to lose and just quit.”

That scenario played out when Leo Kise sent a long ball over the top of the Wheaton North defense to Razman, who fought off a defender and flicked a five-yard shot into the net with 33:40 remaining to break a scoreless tie.

“The second half we started to truly connect,” Razman said. “Leo got the ball in the run of play and we’ve been practicing playing that direct ball, so I feel like it worked today.

“It went over the person’s head and then I tried to shield it a little bit and then shot it.”

That turned the tide. Six minutes later, the Tigers scored on a similar long ball from the midfield. This time it was Razman who sent the pass over the defense and Martinez who finished it.

“They were coming out with energy in the second half,” Klingelhoffer said. “I think moreso than that one individual play, we were kind of on our heels and obviously not far enough back on our heels to defend the play over the top.”

Martinez’s goal was his first of the season and came in his Wheaton Cup debut.

“Getting a goal in the Wheaton Cup, especially, is very important for me,” Martinez said. “I think this win is going to get us some momentum and hopefully win the conference games coming up.”

To do that, the Tigers will need to improve their offense, just like the Falcons. WW South has scored seven goals this season, four of them by Razman.

“We’re both in the same situation,” WW South coach Guy Callipari said. “We’re not lighting it up in the final third.

“We changed our formation a little bit to try to support and get numbers forward, and I thought they did a pretty good job in a very difficult environment with the stress of playing for the Wheaton Cup. So it’s good.”