There is only one final kick to win a State championship and to complete an undefeated season. The kick goes in, and the LHS boys soccer team wins the State championship. The crowd goes wild and the team is celebrating, but one Patriot player is missing: Ryder Syverson was on the other end of the field consoling the losing team, the announcers pointed out his great sportsmanship during and after the game. Character matters.
The LHS boys soccer team had been preparing for this moment the whole season. They had been watching film of the opponents, practicing every day, eating properly and getting enough sleep. These boys were prepared both mentally and physically and had the mindset of winning no matter the cost.
Having a challenging start to the game against their opponent OGHS, the team knew they needed to turn it around to reach their goal. Their motto this year was “survive and advance.” With this in the back of their minds, they knew as long as they played together and trusted their game plan, they would pull it off, whether it was pretty or not.
“Going down a goal early is always a tough spot to be in, but we’ve been in that position before and come out on top every time. We stay positive, leave the mistakes in the past and play our game,” said Syverson.
Syverson had every reason to celebrate with his team. He was awarded player of the game, after making both of the team’s goals and ultimately turning the game around. The game went into an intense shootout to win the State title. Being in such an intense moment, the team had to remain calm and trust in their training.
“I was super confident, not only did we practice taking penalty kicks after every practice once playoffs started, but we also had a brick wall defending the goal. I had all the faith in the world in my teammates,” said Syverson.
As important and exciting as it was for Syverson to win the championship, he could not go without noticing his fellow opponent. Being around his teammates and coaches has allowed him to push himself to become a better athlete, but also a better person.
“It was an unreal feeling, making big plays in a game of that caliber is something you dream of as a little kid, no matter the sport. With that being said, I had a good amount of friends on the other team and I wanted to go give them their praise since I knew I’d have time to celebrate afterwards. They played great and I wanted to make sure they knew that,” said Syverson.
