Saul Tecle, a freshman forward for the Hawks, rolled on the ground in pain. He had taken a shot chasing after a 50-50 ball with San Joaquin Delta’s Toussant Lilo. The foul saw Lilo earn a yellow card.
The referee asked Lilo to check if Tecle was OK. All he got was a shrug.
After all, it is the playoffs. Players don’t have time for those pleasantries. During these 90 minutes, it’s war. Players fighting for the chance to keep their season — and some their careers — alive for just one more game.
“I had a conversation before the game,” Tecle said, “that this could be some people’s last chance of playing soccer. And I think, from the facial expressions (I saw), that people took that to heart.”
With the playoff tensions sky high, Lilo certainly didn’t feel it was his responsibility to check in on Tecle. The lopsided result looming amplified his lack of concern.
The Hawks began the California Community College Athletic Association NorCal Regional Playoffs by beating the hosting Mustangs 5-1 on a gloomy Wednesday at Delta College in Stockton Nov. 20.
Saul Tecle (No. 19) hugging Frank Hinostroza (No. 10) after Hinostroza’s goal at San Joaquin Delta College on Nov. 20, 2024. The goal was scored within the first two minutes of the match. (Photo by Jakob Arnarsson/The Express)
This marks the fourth time the Hawks have scored five or more goals in a game. It was a slight upset by the Hawks, with them ranked 17 (12-7-4) and the Mustangs 16 (13-6-3).
But the Hawks have no time to celebrate. Their focus immediately shifts ahead to the toughest challenge of the season — traveling to take on the Evergreen Valley College Hawks (15-2-4), the number one ranked team in NorCal.
Following their 5-1 performance against the Mustangs, the Hawks not only feel confident but also feel like they have proven that they can compete with just about anybody.
Along with their 5-1 opening playoff victory, the Hawks have an early season matchup against Evergreen to help prepare them for the battle at hand. The Hawks hosted that match, a 4-2 loss. It has them itching for revenge.
“I’m excited that we get to play (Evergreen) again, cause we have vengeance,” Tecle said. “I want to get my get (revenge).”
For the rematch, the Hawks will have to hit the road again, a usually daunting factor. Not for the Hawks. With their 7-1-2 road record, the Hawks feel more comfortable traveling.
“They just go about their business,” head coach Andrew Cumbo said. “They’re not bothered by different field conditions. They’re not bothered by opposing fans. They were asking me tonight, ‘(Will) the Evergreen fans be a little rowdy?’ And I said, ‘Yeah probably.’ They were (just) like ‘Great, it makes us play better.”
Against the Mustangs, the Hawks wasted no time silencing the rival crowd. They jumped in front early, with two freshman midfielders, Frank Hinostroza and Cooper Kennedy, each scoring within the first five minutes.
“We came in ready,” sophomore midfielder Monir Gardizi said. “We knew what we had to do. We wanted to play in the Saturday game. We were all fighting for the spot.”
After the goals, the Mustangs controlled a majority of the first half, piling on the pressure, scoring a goal 16 minutes before halftime and coming close to an equalizer many times.
After halftime, the Hawks refocused on their goal, walking away victoriously. Their reaccelerated offense allowed them to dominate the second half, scoring three more goals to finish the game, while the Mustangs failed to respond. Two of the goals came from Gardizi, with sophomore forward Lenni Hertwig adding to the final tally.
The Hawks saw their joint second leading goal scorers step up in Hinostroza and Hertwig, who both scored nine goals on the year. Meanwhile, Gardizi nearly matched his entire season tally of three goals.
None came from Tecle, who not only leads the Hawks in goals but also is the state’s joint top goalscorer with 27. Despite Telce’s atypical performance on the stat sheet, the Hawks had no trouble finding the back of the net.
“The good thing is for us,” Cumbo said, “other guys are scoring goals now too.”
Against Evergreen, the Hawks will need a similar joint effort. They believe that if they can play hard, play fast and play together, they can beat anyone.
“The same thing we did today, we do it again on Saturday,” Gardizi said. “(If) we come out ready, come out healthy, (we can) take the win, and we (can) upset the number one (seed).”
Top photo: Monir Gardizi (No. 14) challenging possession of the ball against San Joaquin Delta College on Nov. 20, 2024. (Photo by Jakob Arnarsson/The Express)
Luke Vavuris is the Photography Editor and a Staff Writer for The Express. Follow him on X, formally Twitter, @Luke5068.
