The Seahawks are unstoppable. They have yet to lose a game this season! The boys have soared through Hudson, Gulf, Leto and the list goes on. On November 9th, they added our very own rivals to that list. The team ate gator meat with a win of 5-0. Coming into the game the team was very excited and very confident they were going to win. Not having lost to Land O’ Lakes for about 12 years the boys were ready to continue their streak and they very much did.
Senior Nick Kriel and junior Evan Hinz were among the starting eleven in the game versus Land O’ Lakes. To prepare for this game and many others Nick explained, “… after I pick up home boy Evan and his little brother Elliot, on the way to the games we always have a certain playlist we just jam out to.” Evan said, “… this gets us into the mentality to just dominate and win.” Along with the rest of the team, they do a lot of stretching and warmups to make sure no injuries happen on the field, and everyone is in tip top shape before the game. As tradition, Nick and Evan mentioned that they do “… a team sing along in the locker room, it will go from rap to white girl music. So straight up from NLE Choppa and Drake to Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.” This gets the player the energy they need, especially since that week they had played four games back-to-back. Evan commented they came in with the mentality of go-big-or-go-home and they most definitely brought it home.
At the start of the game everyone was nervous, the team was missing a “…vital player Matias Gonzalez…” and just tense thinking about going against their rivals. However, that changed Kriel noticed “after the first water break it was cake. We all thought we were playing Gulf.” Evan says that before that water break ” It was tough, weak activity…” from the Seahawks. The only thing Evan would change is the score “… I was a little bummed, I wanted to mercy rule them…” Kriel believes “… we definitely had chances…” to make the mercy rule happen. Nick and Evan both agree that Junior David Gutierrez had some great plays. He scored two goals that night and both were great. When asked what their favorite part of the game was, they both simultaneously answered “… David Gutierrez period. Every time number ten had the ball, we got happy.” Nick believes “… this team can definitely go far.” Overall, the whole team is very proud of this win “… it always feels good to beat your rival school.”
Nick Kriel made is first debut as a soccer player at 4 years old. His mom is his motivation to keep playing all these years. Nick plans to continue to play soccer in college. He is waiting to get some offers this year. As of right now, he is enjoying his last year at Sunlake with “… some of the best teammates I’ve had in a while.” Plus “… the car rides their and back with them…” makes this team the best.
