Despite a tough 2-3 loss to Sterling on Oct. 25 that ended Varsity soccer’s run in the Belvidere Sectional semifinal, the Knights walked away with their first regional championship since 2004.

The Varsity team defeated the Varsity Sycamore for the first time in Kaneland history, winning 1-0 in an Oct. 14 game against the rival Spartans in the last 55 seconds of the fourth overtime. Junior Jordan Escobedo scored the winning goal, with assistance from sophomore Alex Gil.

The tense game had Coach Scott Parillo worried that it might be a stalemate.

“I was relieved that we didn’t have to go to penalty kicks. I don’t like them, and it was getting very dark. It would have been very hard for the goalkeepers to see the ball,” Parillo said.

The Knights then defeated Rochelle 1-0 to win the regional on Oct. 22, before being knocked out by the Sterling Golden Warriors.

Senior Pat Bratschun said Parillo had pushed the team hard to win regionals.

“He said, ‘Do you want to sit on the sidelines and watch Rochelle hold the plaque or do you want to hold the plaque yourselves?,’” Bratschun recalled just before the Rochelle match.

The Varsity Knights closed their regular season out 9-10-2, with conference games bringing the record to 11-11-2.

Freshman Tyler Siebert said one of the team’s strengths on the field this season has been communication. “Without communication, our team wouldn’t be as good as it is. I believe that communication is one of our biggest strengths. Be direct, clear and simple,” Siebert said.

The Junior Varsity team also had a strong showing, ending their regular season undefeated with a 17-0-1 record, including 13 shutouts. Brian Olson, Arsim Azemi, Ben Longson and Kris Leeseberg were key scorers on the JV team.

“We have worked very hard and the boys deserve everything they are getting,” Parillo said. “It’s not as if we’re just friends anymore, it’s as if we’re all one family.”