On Jan. 16, the boys junior varsity Soccer team took on St. Thomas Aquinas at home, 2-0 victory in their final regular season game. The Raiders controlled play on both sides of the field, overwhelming Aquinas’ defense. Earlier in the season, the Raiders edged Aquinas 1–0 in a closely contested matchup.

“Thomas Aquinas is a physical team, with a lot of big bodies [which they used to] press really hard. We responded well having played them already once, so we knew what we were up against,” Head Coach Federico Mor-Tatis said. 

St. Thomas Aquinas relied on their physicality to apply high-pressure defense on the ball, but the Raiders adjusted their strategy from the previous meeting. The changes proved effective, as the team doubled its goal output from the earlier matchup. Freshman Marcos Sanchez and Sophomore Benjamin Pesce both scored goals assisted by Sebastain Altaba.  

“I think the best part of our game was the transition from defense to offense. We were playing very big strong players and for us to be able to handle the pressure on that transition resulted in the outcome of the game” Sophomore Victor Ten Have said. 

Throughout the regular season, the Raiders experimented with strategies and tactics to prepare for the playoffs.

“I was able to get in behind the ball and progress it well to help the team,” freshman Roberto Ortega said. “I play the No. 10 position, so getting on the ball is important to move it forward quickly. Today we played faster and moved the ball smoothly. Hopefully we carry that into our playoff game.”

The Raiders finished off the regular season having with a record of 14-2-2 and enter the playoffs with momentum.