HART – A bit of mystery has surrounded Hart’s boys soccer program heading into the 2024 season. The Pirates had a chance to shine some light on what the upcoming season could be, claiming second place in their home tournament Saturday, Aug. 17.
The Pirates returned a slew of talent, only losing one senior to graduation in the spring. Seniors leaders this year include Tyler Larios-Mendez and Adan Cruz. Cruz currently sits within reaching distance of Hart’s all-time record for assists.
Kicking off the tournament with a familiar face, Hart got a shot at neighboring Pentwater – a division four foe. The Falcons claimed victory in the same tournament in 2023, though that rendition of the Hart Invite took place near October and allowed all teams to establish an identity and pace prior to play.
The Falcons showed their vigor early in the match with Hart as senior Will Werkema-Grondsma broke through Hart’s back line on a pass from Jonny Arnouts. Werkema-Grondsma fired his shot past Hart keeper Miguel Escamilla to put Pentwater ahead 1-0.
“That’s classic Hart, we never start games fast,” Hart head coach Joe Gilbert said. “I don’t know what it is. I keep trying different things to try and get up quickly. I knew if we were patient and played to what we were set up to do, that we would eventually get there.”
Hart junior Rivaldo Gonzalez stole the show for his team from that point on. Gonzalez was a key part of notching the equalizer for the Pirates, converting on a set piece with teammate Adrian Belmares. Gonzalez – a set piece specialist – made it two in a row just minutes later, once again connecting with Belmares, this time on a corner kick opportunity to put Hart up 2-1.
“A couple of really nice set pieces for Rivaldo Gonzalez,” Gilbert said. “We’ve run the same set pieces for the last eight years. I ran the same set pieces when I was in high school, so don’t fix what ain’t broke. Adrian (Belmares) is great in the air and Rivaldo has a good dead ball play.”
The Pirates put the gas pedal to the floor to close out the first half, scoring once more on a solo run from Emmanuel Ortega on the left side of the pitch. Pentwater’s keeper Kaleb Brown made a grave mistake, moving out of net and leaving Ortega with a wide target to increase the lead to 3-1.
“My middle defenders did a heck of a job,” Pentwater head coach Ralph Achterhof said. “It was just too much of a disorganized mess for a while. Some of the guys are new on the team, but that’s no excuse.”
The second half ticked away rather quickly, but Hart was still able to add an additional pair of goals to their lead. After a corner kick created a scrum in front of the net, Larios-Mendez legged a ball and sent it flying high in the air. Freshman Kevin Hernandez found the volley and connected to push the lead to 4-1. Ortega finished the first match of the day with a direct shot into the far corner of the net on a free kick that hooked around a wall of Pentwater defenders.
In their next game, Hart took on Maple City Glen Lake, coming away with a 5-2 victory in a heated affair. The Pirates struck first on a well placed shot from Larios-Mendez on an assist from Gonzalez. Glen Lake evened things up quickly to tie the game at 1-1.
Hart senior Adan 'Mono' Cruz battles through a pair of Glen Lake defenders in pursuit of the net. The Pirates came away with a 5-2 win in the second game of their home tournament, Saturday, Aug. 10.
Hart found themselves with a deficit early in the second half, watching Glen Lake use their speed to break free just 30 seconds after halftime. The Lakers took a 2-1 lead and left the Pirates with some work to do.
That work got done in ample quality. Hart went on to score four unanswered goals to close out the game with a win. An injury to Larios-Mendez seemed to spark the Pirates as they played the remainder of the game without him.
Scoring the final four goals of the game for Hart came from a dynamic duo as Belmares and Cruz each scored a pair.
The final game of the day for the Pirates was a 3-0 loss to Brooklyn Columbia Central (BCC). With injuries biting, Hart was limited to just 16 players as Larios-Mendez and freshman Colton Samuels both left at various points in the day with ailments. That led to Hart being over-run for the majority of the third game.
Gilbert was pleased with his team’s efforts, scoring 10 goals in total and starting the year off with a 2-1 overall record.
The Pirates will prepare for the start of conference play as they travel north to Ludington Monday, Aug. 26 for a Western Michigan Conference battle with the Orioles.
