The Green Knights soccer team traveled down to Hackensack for their third straight 7pm kickoff away from home.
SJR dropped a close contest to Hackensack last year and there would be no better revenge than to beat the Comets on their Senior Night.
Straight from the first whistle, the intensity of the game was extremely high. Tackles were flying in left and right and it was clear it was gonna be a dog fight for 80 minutes. Both teams battled pushing the other team back looking for opportunities on goal. Ultimately, defense was the story of the first half and the teams went in at the interval, knotted up at 0-0.
As the second half got underway, the intensity only escalated further. The Green Knights were dealt a major blow when they were given a red card, going down to 10 men with still plenty of time left in the game. However, SJR showed unmatched resilience and grit and kept pushing forward for a go-ahead goal. That's exactly what they got when, with nearly 15 minutes left, freshman Gert Deitmer ripped a shot from just outside the box perfectly into the bottom corner, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. The Green Knights defense was the star of the show as center backs Max Del Toro and Quinn Brennan held firm in the back, while midfielders Zachary Villar, Nico Tyjer, and Carlo Guardascione all contributed to the performance. Junior Goalkeeper Jacob Hook came up clutch with plenty of saves late in the game. He turned shot-stopper into goal provider after launching a long ball to captain Daniel Butler who put the game to bed, scoring with under a minute left in the contest. That is Daniel Butler's 7th goal of the season, already matching his tally from last season.
As the final whistle blew, the Green Knights were defiant in victory and put on a complete showcase of heart and passion. A statement victory for SJR, who has already surpassed their win total from 2024. Looking to continue the momentum, the boys will wrap up their 4 game road trip under the bright lights at Granatell Stadium against Don Bosco Prep on Tuesday night.
