SOLON — Almost there – just inches away from the net, but not close enough to score. Still, it was enough to make the crowd erupt with “oooh’s” and “ahhh’s,” reacting to the relentless passion the Solon Spartans poured into every minute of the match.

It was the kind of day made for soccer – warm weather, a light breeze, and just enough sunshine to ask your dad for a slice  of bacon pizza from the concession stand. It all went down on Friday, April 11, at Solon High School, where the Spartans faced off against the Burlington Notre Dame Nikes.

At the 38-minute mark in the first half, the Nikes struck first, making it 1–0 – always a dangerous score in soccer. One bounce, one mistake, and momentum can shift completely.

“They’re a good team, you’ve got to give them credit,” said junior Ethan Ulch. “But we just need to take what we learned from this game and move forward.”

The Spartans connected passes well and pushed up the field with purpose, until they didn’t.

Halfway through the first half, Notre Dame found the back of the net again. Now 0–2, things weren’t looking great for the boys in orange. Looking to switch things up, Head Coach Eyasu Russell sent in fresh legs with a round of substitutions.

From the outside, it may have looked like a runaway loss but on the field, the Spartans were fighting. Junior Ryan Locke showed unwavering determination, the power behind that leg, but just not enough because he was just always so close.

“I just moved on to the next one, because every shot is different. You just learn from
your mistakes,” Locke said.

The first half ended with the Spartans still scoreless. They needed a spark, and while frustration started to boil over, not a single player gave up. Passion turned into fire, and emotions spilled onto the field.

Sophomore Collin McKie earned the first yellow card of the night, setting the tone for a physical second half.

The ball bounced off bodies, legs, and chests; the kind of game that leaves bruises in the morning.

The Nikes matched the energy, adding two more goals to the scoreboard. Now down 0–4, but with 11 minutes left, the ever-humble Ethan Ulch broke through.

“My teammate Rene Meza did most of the work, so I wasn’t trying to steal his goal. But when I saw it wasn’t going in, I just decided to tap it in,”.

The clock counted down as the Spartans pushed for one more. Despite the aggression on both sides, sportsmanship never wavered.

Time was up with the final score: Nikes 4, Spartans 1.

The loss stung, but heads were held high. Coach Russell made sure the team knew that one game didn’t define them.

“This is a great team, well played, well coached. For us to hold them to 4–1, I know these guys have more in them,” Russell said.

Now sitting at 2–3 overall, the Spartans will look to bounce back with sharper focus when they face Mt. Vernon on Tuesday, April 15 (after this edition went to press).