Changes help Hononegah soccer get moving in the right direction.
Coach Fasula made crucial adjustments to the team’s passing and communication, which paid off.
Hononegah’s varsity soccer team is kicking off the season strong with two victories against Auburn and Jefferson. After a tough loss to Boylan Catholic, Coach Mike Fasula made crucial adjustments to the team’s passing and communication, which paid off at the Auburn match. Coach Fasula expected their first game of the season to be a gauge for where the players were truly at; if the immediate improvement shown by this team is any indication of what’s to come, Hononegah is in for a better record than ever before.
Senior striker Chris Salas-Perez scored the first goal of the season with an assist from senior Carter Plesic. Perez has been one of the most dynamic and agile players on the field, constantly pushing forward and maneuvering around any defenders who come his way.
Sophomore Grant Skidmore and junior Tyler McCormick both scored goals against the Auburn Knights with only minutes before the halftime buzzer went off. Skidmore got his first point as a varsity player with a penalty kick. Immediately after, McCormick charged the goal box, clocking a third goal for Hononegah. McCormick scored yet another point on Auburn following the halftime. Senior Alex Kuznyetsov made the fifth and final goal for the varsity team with an impressive header, closing out the game at 5-1.
Although Hononegah was playing against a different team, the true reason for such a drastic change in the outcome of the game is a dedicated effort to be better. It is clear that coach Fasula is pushing these players to be the best group the program has seen in years. In sophomore Connor Bridegan’s words, “I feel like he really cares,” and nothing is more certain than that. Bridegan, himself, was brought up to varsity by Fasula after making a name for himself on the freshman team with 36 goals in one season.
In the game against Jefferson High School, McCormick started Hononegah off strong, skillfully out-maneuvering all of his opponents, including the goalie, to score the first point. Junior co-captain Jacob Wright made the second point of the game with a free-kick goal.
The varsity team has already demonstrated significant growth in both offensive and defensive strategies, particularly in areas such as passing, communication, and technical skill. Despite the players’ individual skills, the reality is that these successes stem from the chemistry within the team. There is no single player responsible for Hononegah’s winning record, regardless of how many goals are scored or saved—it is all about them working together to dominate the field.
Varsity’s next game is against cross-town rivals, the Harlem Huskies, on Tuesday, 9/9 at 6:30 p.m. at Harlem High School. Harlem is currently 3-1-1 overall and 1-0 in conference. The Huskies have one stand-out senior, Stevan Ljubicic, who was ranked at the state level for scoring, so this will definitely be a win that Hononegah will have to put in the work for.
