Royals taking on Harrison, ‘Hounds head to Lawrence North for semifinals

The REPORTER

The Hamilton Southeastern boys soccer team will take on a fellow top five team tonight in a Class 3A regional semifinal game.

The No. 2-ranked Royals host No. 4 Harrison, with the game beginning at 6 p.m. The teams played each other early in the season at the Raiders’ field; the Sept. 5 contest finished in a 1-1 tie. It will be a clash of unbeaten teams, as Harrison is 15-0-4 and Southeastern is 13-0-5.

The Raiders won their own sectional last week, starting with an 8-0 victory over Lebanon in the first round. Harrison beat McCutcheon 2-1 in a semifinal game, then defeated Lafayette Jefferson 3-0 in the championship.

Junior Ivan Gutierrez is by far the scoring leader for the Raiders, with 27 goals and 13 assists to his credit. Sophomore Timmy Schneider is Harrison’s goalkeeper; he has made 30 saves and a 0.545 goals against average (GAA).

The Royals also triumphed at their own sectional last week. Southeastern began with a 4-2 win over Pendleton Heights in the first round, defeated Mount Vernon 4-2 in the semifinals, then beat rival and No. 9-ranked Fishers 1-0 to claim the championship.

Senior Ameer Abu-Salih leads HSE in goals scored with nine, while senior Jack Anderson has 12 assists for the season. Another senior, Cam Joniec, has had a solid goalkeeper season with 37 saves and a GAA of 0.727.

Carmel at Lawrence North

Carmel heads down to Lawrence North tonight for a 6 p.m. regional semifinal game.

The Wildcats are 12-4-1. Lawrence North won Sectional 10 last week, starting with a 4-0 first-round win over Herron. The Wildcats then edged out Warren Central 1-0 in the semifinals, then upset No. 8-ranked Cathedral 2-1 in penalty kicks to claim the trophy.

Senior Nahum Mendez is the scoring leader for LN, with seven goals and 11 assists. Senior goalkeeper Guillermo Folgar has 41 saves for the season.

The Greyhounds are 7-7-3 for the season, and won their own sectional in the toughest way possible, with two penalty-kick games after receiving a first-round bye. In the semifinals, Carmel edged out Brebeuf Jesuit 2-1, winning the PK round 5-4. That moved the Hounds into the championship, taking on No. 1-ranked and three-time defending state champion Noblesville. After a scoreless regulation and overtime, the game went to PKs, with Carmel winning 5-3.

Juniors Curtis Droste and Owen Price both have five goals for the season, with senior Tyler Schilt and Mikey Kubek each making five assists. Sophomore goalkeeper Aidan Gostomelsky has been playing well as of late, making a crucial stop for the Greyhounds in the PK round against Noblesville that helped Carmel win the sectional title.