Senior forward Bryan Maldonado’s goal gave boys soccer a 1-0 lead over Lake Forest Academy going into the half on Thursday night, and that was just the start. 

Just 40 minutes later, the Lazier Field scoreboard read 5-0, following an offensive explosion by the Kits, with goals by senior Thomas Browne, senior Pascal Calonges, junior Joseph Sargent and senior Diego Velasquez to shut out the Caxys.

The “defense first” approach was on display throughout the night, led by senior Ben Roman and junior George Lewis. Although LFA managed to get a couple of shots on goal early on, the Kits’ stout defense kept the Caxys at bay. The Caxys (3-1) last result against Evanston (5-0), 364 days earlier, had ended in a 2-2 tie.

“Our team knew that tonight was going to be a big game. We knew that Lake Forest Academy had some really good results, so our number one priority was making sure that we were strong,” said assistant coach Fernando Ferrer, who led the team while head coach Franz Calixte attended the school’s Open House. “Our goal is to make sure that no one is in our goal, and let the forwards do their thing. We have a very potent attack, and it can be game-winning when we have the chance.” 

Ferrer also gave insight on Evanston’s upcoming games, as well as advice on keeping the team’s eyes on the prize.

“We absolutely need to stay fresh. We tried to play everybody today, giving everyone [some] rest,” Ferrer stated. “We aren’t looking at 20 games in front of us. We have the here and now [mentality], and that’s what matters for this team.”

The Kits take on Walter Payton College Prep on Saturday, Sep. 1 at 3:00 p.m., in their final game of the Evanston Invitational tournament.