Olathe East Men’s Soccer – Junior Varsity
Opponent
Time & Place
St. Thomas Aquinas (5A)
10 Sep 2015 @ 4:00 – STA
Result
Record (W-D-L)
2–3
1–1–1
The Saints served notice of their attacking intent by sending their first touch of the game deep into the
Hawks half. And while the visiting Hawks may have breathed a sigh of relief that it crossed the end line
untouched for a goal kick, they were stunned seconds later when the next attack had numbers behind it
and two Saints players unmarked at the top of the penalty area debating who would take the open shot
to put them up 1-0 in the opening minute of play.
Aquinas fielded a team of quick players who were eager to exploit the Hawks on the counterattack, but
the opening lapse awakened the Hawks to this risk and they began to close off Saint’s attacks before
they became dangerous. And the Hawks also began holding their possession in the attacking half to
deny Aquinas counter opportunities. But this focus on possession lent itself to some offensive
tentativeness, which fortunately melted away as the half progressed.
Junior Noah Hohenadel opened the Hawk’s scoring in the 31st minute capitalizing on an open look from
15 yards. Not content with a level score, a couple of minutes later fellow junior Adrian Blanco ripped an
opportunistic attempt into the back of the goal from 35 yards for a 2-1 Hawk’s lead that stood at
halftime.
The lead did not survive the opening minutes of the second half, when a back pass to the goalkeeper on
the natural grass lacked the needed pace and allowed a Saint’s player to challenge for the ball. Hawk’s
goalkeeper Connor Child met him and both players’ feet made simultaneous contact with ball, which
spun backwards and into the Hawk’s goal to tie the score.
One of the more entertaining plays of the year followed soon after as a ball played from distance inched
slowly towards the Hawk’s penalty area. As Child waited patiently for the ball to enter his area before
picking it up, defender Tanner Smith sensed an approaching Saint’s player and dropped to the turf the
head/nose the ball the final inches to his keeper. 
Child preserved the deadlock with two strong plays on either side of the 50 minute mark. On the first, he
came far outside his area to challenge an otherwise open look, rushing the shot which sailed high.
Several minutes later he was well positioned for a far post diving save! Later, the teams traded quality
opportunities on corner kicks but neither could convert.
The Saints grabbed the lead in the 65th minute after drawing a foul on a strong counterattack with the
free kick awarded on the right side from just over 20 yards. The Hawks set their wall well, but the
Aquinas player bent the kick over the wall with enough spin to dip low into the goal at the near post,
leaving Child nothing to do but admire the shot.
The Hawks’ goalkeeper took control on the Saints next opportunity a few minutes later as he came out of
his area again to sweep the ball away from the attacker, and then popped up quickly to control the ball
and send it out of harm’s way.
Olathe East nearly claimed a tying goal in the 71st minute off a corner kick on a promising shot that
escaped the Saint’s goalkeeper only to be cleared off the line by a defender. It proved to be the Hawk’s
last good opportunity of the game.
Goals – Hohenadel (1); Blanco (2)