Photo Courtesy of Hillcrest Academy Yearbook

The Hillcrest Academy Raven soccer team hosted Sigourney-Keota for Senior Night Tuesday in Kalona, putting together an 11-2 win. The Ravens scored thrice in the first 10 minutes of the contest and took a 6-2 lead into intermission. They would find the back of the net five more times in the second half. After the match, Raven Seniors Seth Ours, Mason Helmuth, Jesse Blossom, joined KCII Sports to talk about the win and this year’s team.

Ours said, “Right now, we’re connecting passes well. We’re not just trying to boot the ball and have guys run up on it. Doing what the coaches want us to do. We only lost one senior last year, so we’re all pretty experienced. We know how it goes. I think we have done a good job playing the brand of soccer that we can and teaching the younger kids along the way.”

Helmuth continued, “Our chemistry is really good right now with this team and it’s only going up from here!”

Blossom added, “We just have to come out strong, play our version of soccer, the way we know how to play.”

The Ravens had 19 total shots on goal and amassed 11 corner kicks. Mason Helmuth led the Hillcrest offense with four goals, driving his team-leading total to 12 this year. Micah Gerber scored his fourth and fifth goals, and Jesse Blossom got his first two of the year. Rowan Miller, Bryce Bailey and Beckett Slaubaugh each found the back of the net once each for their fourth, second, and first goals of the season. It was two assists each for Gerber and Ours who now have four each. Blossom, Miller, Helmuth and Mason Bender each had an assist. Bender’s was his team-leading sixth of the year. Kyle Neuschwander had two saves in goal. Aydin Flowers collected one of the SK goals, the other came on a PK. Hillcrest honored seniors Jesse Blossom, Micah Gerber, Seth Ours, Bryce Bailey, Mason Helmuth, Mason Bender, Kyle Neuschwander and Andrew Kauffman in a postgame ceremony. The Ravens are now 5-2-1 with the win as the Savages drop to 1-8.