Harvard wins with another 6-goal outburst

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ELGIN – Many state champion soccer teams do not score 12 goals total during the playoffs.

So when Harvard’s boys soccer team turned in its second six-goal performance in two playoff games Saturday during the Class 1A Westminster Christian Regional semifinal against Niles Northridge Prep, it surprised even the Hornets, who expect descriptors like “explosive” when talking about their offense.

“We combine pretty well up top,” said Colin Carpenter, who scored twice in the Hornets’ 6-4 victory against fifth-seeded Northridge Prep to advance to the regional final at 4 p.m. Tuesday against host Westminster Christian.

“We use our flags, we use our crosses and we talk to one another to find holes when we can and exploit our defenses. But we didn’t think we’d come out in the playoffs again and score six.”

The top-seeded Hornets (17-3-2) buried six goals in their regional quarterfinal rout of Chicagoland Jewish last week, and hope to continue the offensive onslaught against Westminster Christian when the two play for a regional title.

It’s the mistakes the Hornets made defensively that they need to eliminate Tuesday.

Harvard took a five-goal lead, 6-1, with Carpenter’s long shot from the left corner of the box with 25:43 left to play.

Instead of challenging the Knights’ ensuing attacks, the Hornets began to play on their heels.

Northridge Prep’s Bart Bak made it a four-goal game, 6-2, less than 1 minute after Carpenter’s goal, narrowed Harvard’s lead to three, 6-3, with another goal at the 10:31 mark in the second half, and pushed the Knights’ fourth score through with 1:49 remaining in the match.

“There was a little panic at the end,” said Harvard midfielder Oscar Morales, who scored the Hornets’ fourth goal of the game and first of the second half. “We got the match under control again and finished, but we let down too much.”

“We’d played with some passion earlier,” said Harvard coach David Abel, “and then it was like we were playing on our heels.”

The high-octane offense is likely to cool since the Hornets’ competition theoretically will improve the further they push through the playoffs.

Still, 12 goals in two games is a statistic capable of boosting confidence in any team, especially since four different players contributed Saturday. Ivan Pichardo, Rafael Juarez, Alvaro Sepulveda and Brian Gonzalez also scored for Harvard.

“We’ve had 12 different people score goals this year and 14 different players get assists, so we’ve got people who are really coming into their roles,” Abel said. “The kids work hard and are responding well to being tested.”