On Tuesday, Sept. 30, the Stevenson boys varsity soccer team faced Zion-Benton Zee-Bees in one of their last home games of the season. Despite finishing the first half leading with a score of 2-1, the Zee-Bees scored three times in the second half, ultimately winning the game with a score of 4-2.

The game began with Stevenson scoring the first goal in the first 10 minutes, with Brady Brunner ‘28 kicking the ball past the goalie into the net, scoring on an assist by Jake Goldstein ‘27. With 28 minutes left in the first half, Hayato Eto ‘26 weaved past his defender and swiftly landed a goal into the opponent’s net.

The Zee-Bees found their stride with 18 minutes remaining in the half, scoring their first goal of the game. With both teams unable to land any more scores, the first half ended with a score of 2-1. The Patriots had a lot to address. 

“During halftime, the coaches switched out [the first half] formation, and we tried to match their long field play style,” player Abhinav Reddeppagari ‘26 said. 

After the break, Zee-Bees quickly tied the game by scoring within six minutes of the second half. The Patriots continued to try to bring the ball to Zee-Bee territory, but the ball was stolen, and Zee-Bees scored again at the 30 minute mark. Coach Denzel Mitchem noted the shift in momentum, acknowledging the opponent’s fiercer strategy to obtain the ball.

“I think a lot of it was the shift to a transitional soccer game—they were coming, bringing a lot of energy, and we weren’t matching that energy,” Mitchem said. “We missed a lot of our opportunities to take advantage of our lead, which worked against our momentum, and they were executed when they had the opportunities in front of the net.”

Both teams battled for possession, constantly running up and down the field. There were several attempts to steal the ball—both sides were flagged for an increased number of fouls as the close score of 2-3 increased tensions—but eventually the Zee-Bees scored a goal once more at the twelve minute mark. In a final effort, the Patriots attempted to score a few last minute shots but failed to get past the defense before the timer reached zero.

Looking back on their efeat, Reddeppagari reflects on the challenges they faced during the game. Reddeppagari admitted that even though the coaches’ changed the team strategy in the first half, the game was tough.

“I think playing as a team is a combined passion,” Reddeppagari said “It’s hard to find balance within our own team when we have such a tight-knit team as our opponent.”

Although upset about the defeat, many players kept their strong enthusiasm for the rest of the season. Matias Vrana ‘27 emphasized the importance of not only improving skills, but relaxing and recovering from the loss.

“[It is vital to] practice communication, but also get food and have team bonding,” Vrana said.

With this defeat, Stevenson is now 10-3, and ranked third in their conference. They will go on to play Evanston on Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. at home.