The middle school boys’ soccer squad traveled to North London Collegiate School (NLCS) to compete in the KISAC tournament from Sept. 16 to 18. After a series of intense matches, both teams ultimately fell short of the podium. 

Varsity kicked off the tournament against Korea International School Jeju (KISJ) with Pyo Hong (9) as striker, Volt Park (15) as left midfielder, Yahoo (11) as right midfielder, Sean Kim (7)  as center midfielder, Lucas Shin (17) as left center back, Tony Kim (8) as right centerback, and Honglim Jin (58) as the goalkeeper. 

Filled with fresh energy and focus, the Jets struck first with early offensive pressure and disciplined defense. Although they briefly led in the first few minutes, KISJ soon caught up and took control, turning the tide into a 7:5 finish. 

“KISJ is the strongest team and the tournament champions. Even though we lost seven to five, we scored the first goal, led the game for a while, and played much better than anyone expected. It showed how much we improved,” Captain Kim (8) said. 

Next up, DIS encountered Saint Johnsbury Academy (SJA). While the team maintained strong teamwork throughout, a few defensive miscommunications allowed SJA to slip in 3 goals. The score was a draw and when they scored one goal our morale went down,” said Hong (9). 

On day 2, the Jets faced off against Branksome Hall Asia (BHA). Determined to bounce back, they reset their mindset and tightened their formation. With slight changes in their strategies, players executed quick transitions, light passes, and maintained fast game tempo throughout. As the squad took an early lead, they secured a close win in a tight back and forth battle (2:1).

“I felt the team really came together in our match against BHA. Even though it was our first game after those two losses, everyone stayed focused and tried to be positive which gave us our first win during the tournament,” Kim (8) said. 

Riding high, the Jets moved onto the third place match against the NLCS Orcas. With fatigue from previous matches, the Orcas capitalized quickly, extending the score gap throughout the game. They fought until the final whistle, but ultimately fell to a 8:2 loss. 

At the same time, JV set a new record for DIS middle school soccer at KISAC. 

The B team opened the tournament against SJA with Darmirkhan (20), Jacob Lee (37), and Joseph Beck (19) as forwards, Joseph Cho (0) and Steven Jang (1) as midfielders, Miles Long (24) as defense, and Aiden Hwang (30) as goalkeeper. 

As soon as the whistle blew, the players launched into aggressive, fast-paced attacks. The Jets surged ahead early in the first half with multiple goals, making it difficult for the Hilltoppers to close the gap in the second.

Despite the debut-match nerves, sixth grader Cho (0) scored a standout hat trick that led the team to a dominant 5:1 victory. “The sixth graders did a great job in the tournament. The team needs everyone,” Coach Gall said. 

The squad took their next challenge against the NLCS B1 team. Although NLCS defeated DIS in previous years, captain Hwang (30) boosted the team’s confidence with loud calls and strong leadership. Though they fell to a 4:0 loss, they viewed the match as a valuable learning opportunity. 

Despite the setback, the team qualified for the quarter finals against NLCS B2. As the whistle blew, rookie player Cho (0) dribbled the ball through the opponents and struck an immaculate goal into the net. With momentum, the team pressed forward and widened their lead in the remaining duration of the match. 

In the final minute, the Orcas nearly equalized the score with a free kick, but goalkeeper Hwang made a spectacular save. The Jets battled fiercely until the final whistle, securing both a 3:2 victory and the ticket to the semi-finals. 

On day 2, they opened the semi finals match up against the KISJ Dragons. As the match quickly progressed, the Dragons’ forward streaks posed a significant challenge for DIS. 

Although they formed a solid defense structure, the Dragons’ relentless attacks alongside the overwhelming field size proved arduous. As a result, the team conceded multiple goals in a row and ultimately fell 6:0. 

“The biggest challenge we faced was the size of the game field compared to what we trained in. Compared to the DIS field we practiced in, the field in NLCS was much bigger. This made us warm up even more carefully and seriously. We thankfully adapted to the pitch on day 2,” seventh grader Jang (2) said. 

With barely any rest and time to recover from the early loss, the team entered the field against SJA. Despite pushing through fatigue, the Jets struggled to keep up with the opponents’ physicality and fast pace, ending the tournament with a well-earned fourth place finish (4:1). 

After two days of growth, teamwork, and unforgettable moments, the boys returned with motivation and confidence as they resumed training for their upcoming SKAIS tournament at ISB (International School of Busan) on Nov. 22. “We have been waiting for weeks now and we are more than ready. I think both teams have a very good chance of winning. They will try their best,” Coach Gall said.