To kick off the soccer season, the high school boys made their debut at Camp Henry, taking on their crosstown rivals, Daegu Middle and High School (DMHS), on March 21. The Jets took the field moments after the girls’ match, carrying the momentum from their victory into a high-tempo start. 

Unlike the girls 7 v 7 matchup, the boys played an 11 v 11 game to match the style of their upcoming tournaments. “Our formation was just simply a 4-4-2 formation which kind of modified also into 4-3-3 during attacking phases but predominantly we just stuck with a 4-4-2 for simplicity,” said Coach Purdy.

Nevertheless, the new formation led to new difficulties. “The full field wasn’t as big as the 11 v 11 field, so it was hard to pass because people were so crowded,” said left-back defender Jason McAteer (22). 

The Jets took the opening pass and burst forward at the whistle, but the Warriors quickly secured possession and drove through the center for an offensive build-up. Although goalkeeper Brian Hyun (1) kept the ball out of the net, a DMHS striker managed to fire off two shots to the goal right off the bat. The boys used the early pressure as a wake-up call, quickly raising the tempo of the game.

The match shifted into a back-and-forth of long passes as defenders chipped the ball over the field. Despite the heavy running, the Jets powered through with the help of preparation from Coach Purdy’s stamina training.

“Every Friday, we went to Bongmu Lake for fitness training. They did a bit of anaerobic training with the hill sprints. That’s them trying to increase their ability to sprint at a high velocity and then recover quickly. Soccer is all about high intensity sprints, so they were able to keep working and recover their energy,” said Coach Purdy.

With just four practices under their belt, DIS relied more on individual skills than teamwork. As a result, their lack of coordination made it difficult to break through. With the Warriors packing their defense and lining up five center backs, the challenge intensified.

Looking to relieve the pressure, Hyun made a risky save at the goal and drop-kicked the ball over the halfway line. After a few touches on the ball, James Kim (20) delivered a spot-on pass into the box. Captain William Seok (8) seized the chance and chased the ball for a scoring opportunity. He skipped past a tackle from DMHS straight to the goal and fired a powerful shot into the bottom right corner.

“I hoped to have a strong start to the game and I was happy that I was able to score. It was also the first goal in the first half, so I was glad that we were able to start with a lead,” said senior William Seok (8). 

The squad carried the momentum through the final minutes of the first half and held onto their lead. Tight marking on the Warriors strengthened the boys’ defense and sustained pressure near the opponent’s goal, as the half closed up with a 1-0 lead.

After a ten minute recovery time, Coach Purdy rotated goalie Jason Kim (56) into the goal and gave Hyun a bit of a breather.

Down by one, the Warriors fought aggressively for control, and the Jets responded with relentless pressure on the field. With long goal kicks, DMHS took the ball along the sideline and attacked the last line of defense. Center back William Seo (16) leaped to clear the ball with a header, but collided head-to-head with a DMHS attacker.

The heavy contact forced a substitution for Seo. In the absence of a key defender, the squad lost momentum and the Warriors picked up the pace. In an effort to clear the ball out of the box, a misplaced pass rolled to the opponent team. They quickly took a shot, and the ball struck the post before bouncing into the net.

The point sent DIS back to square one with 15 minutes left on the clock, but the team used it as motivation and pushed forward. Just moments after, center back Maddox Jolly (3) stepped in for Kim (56) and launched a pinpoint long ball upfield to right winger Jayden Lee (77). 

Lee dribbled to create space and struck the ball into the net without hesitation. The tie-breaker goal took back their one-goal advantage and shifted the momentum in their favor. “Honestly, Maddox passed to me and I just shot the ball. It was a lucky goal because I didn’t know it would go in,” said Lee (77).

To secure the lead, Coach Purdy brought starting goalkeeper Hyun back into the match.  The backline held firm at the defensive and remained focused for the remainder of the game. Rather than to sit back and play it safe, the Jets carried the momentum and pressed forward with several attempts at the goal. Although none found the net, the sustained offensive pressure kept play high up the pitch and ultimately secured the win.

“I’d like our team to develop an idea and a bit of philosophy for holding the ball, containing it, controlling it before they launch forward into an attack. They can be a bit too excited and play it sideways or backwards just to recycle possession,” said Coach Purdy. “We have another friendly after Spring Break– it’ll be a full pitch, 11 v 11, so I’m very excited to see how they’ll perform with more space.”

After a successful season opener, the team looks to shore up on offensive teamplay and all-around practice for their re-match with DMHS on April 14. “I’d like our team to develop an idea and a bit of philosophy for holding the ball, containing it, controlling it before they launch forward into an attack. They can be a bit too excited and play it sideways or backwards just to recycle possession. We have another friendly after Spring Break– it’ll be a full pitch, 11 v 11, so I’m very excited to see how they’ll perform with more space, ” said Coach Purdy. 

Gallery • 6 Photos

Olya Karpenko

The bench erupts with raised hands and cheers in celebration as the Jets respond quickly with a second goal following the opponent’s strike, shifting the momentum back in their favor.