Waubonsie Boys Soccer earns a spot in playoffs, and it’s a breezy evening as we head to Romeoville High School, which hosts the boys soccer regional semifinals for Class 3A. Ninth-seeded Bolingbrook takes on eighth-seeded Waubonsie Valley in this win-or-go-home matchup! Waubonsie is hoping to advance to the next round after a loss to Romeoville in the 2024 regional semifinal. Bolingbrook enters this match having not lost a game since October 1st. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
The Raiders apply the offensive pressure early as Jhohan Henao connects with Gustavo Ruiz. Ruiz goes for the strike, but Waubonsie goalkeeper Sebastian Herrera swats it away for a great save, keeping the game scoreless.
A battle to get on the board in the first half
A few minutes later, the Warriors are on the move and hoping to break the ice off the scoreboard. Matthew Rodriguez is at the helm for the free kick. He passes to Evan Wojtowich, who finds Diego Rodriguez in the crossfire. Rodriguez tries to push the ball ahead with the outside of his foot, but it’s blocked by Raiders goalie Ibrahim Elliott, who gets the stop.
With time winding down in the first half, the Raiders are awarded a penalty kick. Jona Tapia goes to the right corner with his attempt, and so does Sebastian Herrera, who makes another great save, blocking the ball with his legs. The rebound is high, and we head to the break scoreless.
The Raiders head into the second half hoping to flip the script. Off the free kick, Julian Meraz has the golden strike and finds the back of the net. After forty-six scoreless minutes, the Raiders are on the board first, up 1-nil.
Nearly five minutes later, the Raiders continue their offensive momentum. Gustavo Ruiz has the throw-in to Jona Tapia, the ball is deflected, and off the rebound, Brayan Araujo’s long strike finds the right top corner. Raiders lead by a pair at 2-0.
With eight minutes remaining in the game, the Warriors need any sort of lifeline….and they find it in Gavin Byrne, who taps in the loose ball for the Warriors’ first goal of the contest. Waubonsie Boys Soccer earns a tally on the board as they trail by one and scramble back to midfield in search of the equalizer.
Less than a minute remains in regulation. Waubonsie’s Einer Amezola has a free kick from outside the box. He keeps is strike on a low line drive, and finds the top shelf to even the score. An incredible comeback for the Warriors as we head into overtime with the game tied 2-2!
Waubonsie Boys Soccer earns victory in an intense shootout
After a scoreless first overtime, Waubonsie is hoping to get their first lead of the match. Matthew Rodriguez curls the corner kick to Evan Wojtowich for the header into the left corner. The Warriors lead by one, but with no golden goal, they must hold off the Raiders for the final six minutes of the second OT.
But this wild game gets even wilder. The Raiders strike back. Yonni Tsegay passes to Julian Meraz, and Meraz’s cross finds teammate Gustavo Motta for the one-touch goal. After two overtimes and 100 minutes of momentum swings, the Raiders make it level 3-3, and we head to a shootout!
First up in the shootout is Jonah Tapia for Bolingbrook. Herrera guesses correctly and dives to his right, but the ball sneaks into the net for the goal.
Both teams go back and forth, each scoring five consecutive penalty goals. Cole Ondrejcak, Rihaan Gupta, Yasser Gomez, Manny Uriostegui, and Einer Amezola make their shots count for Waubonise.
Tied up at 5-5 in PK’s, Jhohan Henao puts too much air on the sixth attempt for the Raiders, leaving an opening for Waubonsie to win.
The Warriors send out their goalie, Sebastian Herrera, to try to close things out. The senior curls one into the top right corner to win the game 4-3. Waubonsie Valley boys soccer defeats Bolingbrook and moves on to the regional championship to face Naperville North after one of the most thrilling playoff matchups in the entire state this fall.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!