Adams and Northridge Boys Soccer Teams Face Crucial Lessons After Recent Matches

Photo byAustin Hough

In a whirlwind week for South Bend’s boys soccer scene, Adams High School saw its six-match winning streak come to a halt, suffering consecutive losses that served as critical learning experiences. After a tough penalty shootout defeat against Penn on Tuesday, the Eagles fell 3-0 to Northridge on Wednesday, marking their first setbacks since September 4. As they gear up for the upcoming sectional championship, the focus is on resilience and adaptability.

Adams coach Cristian Mihut expressed his disappointment following the loss to Northridge, emphasizing the need for his players to learn from such challenges. “We should have taken care of business,” he stated. “If we make it through sectionals, there’ll be a quick turnover between games, so we should have done a much better job on Wednesday. You learn all sorts of things in games like this.”

The Eagles’ match against Penn was a grueling affair that stretched over three hours due to weather delays. Adams showed tenacity, erasing two deficits to equalize, only to lose in a nail-biting penalty shootout, 5-4. Mihut praised his team’s effort but noted that the physical toll from that match impacted their performance against Northridge. “You could tell the energy wasn’t the same that helped us come back against Penn,” he reflected. “I hope the boys learn ‘mind over matter’ from this because there will be other games where we’re as fatigued.”

Despite the defeat, Adams remains optimistic as they prepare for the IHSAA sectional draw this Sunday, with their record standing at 8-6 and two regular season matches left to play. The competition will be fierce, especially with Mishawaka Marian also expected to contend for the Class 3A sectional title.

On the other side of the field, Northridge (7-4-2) took full advantage of their rest day prior to the match, having not played for six days. Coach Lawrence Baltazar noted the significance of their previous victory over No. 3 (1A) Bethany Christian, stating, “They’re a smaller school, but they’re very organized and get a lot of numbers back. We pulled off a 1-0 win against them, and I felt the guys turned a corner a little bit there.”

The standout performer for Northridge was junior Julius Esquivias, who netted all three goals in Wednesday's victory, bringing his season total to 17. With his scoring ability, the Raiders look poised to make a strong run as the postseason approaches.

As the teams head into the final stretch of the regular season, the challenges of the past week will undoubtedly shape their preparations for the competitive landscape of the Class 3A sectional, which includes formidable opponents like Penn, Concord, Goshen, Elkhart, and Warsaw.