The high school boys’ soccer teams traveled down to International School of Busan (ISB) for the soccer 7s SKAIS tournament on May 30. With experience and chemistry built from consecutive friendlies and the KISAC tournament, they prepare to compete at their highest level, ready to earn the gold.
The change in the tournament date took a toll on the team’s performance. “The weather was hotter in the 30th and the final week was confusing for practice we had one practice it delays the finale event so people get more anxious it wasn’t the best scenario but we made the most of it,” said Coach Purdy
Varsity kicked off the day against the BFS Sharks. After beating them by a landslide in the triangular match, the Jets entered the pitch with confidence. Easily breaking through the Sharks’ high press through a mix of short and long passes from left back Alex Seo (12), right back Jason McAteer (22) and midfielder Charlie Park (10), they shut down the BFS Sharks.
Carrying on the fierce attack, in addition to Robert Cho (18)’s opener, left wing Jayden Lee (77) scored a brace. As the Sharks’ defensive line crumbled, they conceded an own goal. Finishing off a dominant performance, they secured a 4:0 victory.
Following the winning momentum, the Jets contended against the defending champions, the ISB Bears. Seeking revenge for last year’s close loss in the finals, the boys locked in for an immaculate performance. With high energy from all fronts, the Jets dominated possession. Despite clean buildups, finishing touches did not follow DIS. The Bears took their chances with effectiveness, earning a lead. Despite the continuous effort, the squad fell short, giving a 1:0 loss.
“It was a very close game. It felt like we should have dominated them, just because we had so many scoring opportunities. We just couldn’t make those final touches, and it motivated us to work even harder,” said Park (10).
1-1 on the round-robin table, the Jets needed to secure a draw or win against the Gyeongnam International Foreign School (GIFS) Tigers. With the ticket to the finals on the line, both teams fought with high intensity. Through constant aerial and ground duels, the game required focus and composure from the players. While the Jets pushed their 100%, the Tigers prevailed, earning a 2:1 lead.
Falling behind, Park (10) clutched a back heel goal from William Seok (8)’s precise corner kick, equalizing the game. The tie did not last long. Exploiting a weak midfield press, GIFS quickly took the lead again. With around 2 minutes left on the clock, Seo (12) fired in a stunning long-range strike towards the right corner of the goal, leveling the game. The final whistle blew soon after, advancing the Jets to the finals.
“It was one of the most intense matches we’ve played during the season. Both teams lost possessions, earned possessions, scored, got scored. It required us to lock in and actually play some soccer,” said McAteer (22).
Re-matching against the ISB Bears in the finals, the Jets were determined to reverse their earlier defeat. Although the crew maintained to play their game, inconsistency in the referee calls and dirty tackles from the Bears messed up DIS’s flow. The opponent took a three-nil lead, hoisting the trophy.
“Varsity played really good [soccer]. They had many scoring opportunities, but it was unfortunate how the finale went. It’s normally what happens when you are an underdog, but I’m proud of the boys showing their best,” said Coach Purdy
JV contested against their only opponent, the ISB Bears junior varsity squad. With the absence of goalkeeper Jason Kim, Kevin Ahn (27) substituted in as keep. The preliminary round concluded as a lopsided match, with the JV Bears taking a 3:1 win.
Entering the real deal, the Jets regrouped themselves. While they showcased resilient performance, the Bears were too far ahead for them to catch. Ending second, they close out the day with a match against the varsity last seed.
At the end of the day, Lee (77) and Park (10) earned the all-tournament team awards, a remarkable achievement as a sophomore and freshman. Even with ups and downs, the squad continues to improve year by year, setting their sights to the trophy next year.
