A warm, sunny stretch of late September brought mixed results for the Hastings Raiders varsity soccer teams, with the girls notching two wins in convincing and gritty fashion, while the boys saw both ends of the competitive spectrum with a spirited comeback against Simley and a tough loss to Park.

Through it all, the Raiders played with heart, hustle, and a few silver linings to carry forward.

Girls Dominate Simley, Edge Park Late

On September 23, the Raiders put on a clinic at home, blanking Simley 5–0 in a match that felt lopsided from the opening kickoff. Sienna Sanchez was nearly unstoppable, scoring four of Hastings’ five goals and tearing through Spartan defenders like they were not there.

From the outset, Hastings controlled every phase of the game. Possession skewed heavily in their favor, with over 80 percent of the match played in Simley’s half, and the Raiders applied relentless pressure from midfield forward. Even when Simley looked to break through, Hastings’ back line was airtight, keeping the ball well away from keeper Grace Knoll, who spent much of the match with little to do but observe.

Three days later, on September 27, the girls had to grind one out against Park. Despite being outshot 11 to 7 and facing a physical, aggressive opponent, Hastings made the most of a late opportunity. With 12:53 left in the second half, Jersey Appert slotted home the game’s only goal, cleaning up a chaotic corner kick that deflected off several players in the box.

It was not clean, but it was enough.

With the two wins, Hastings improved to 8–5–2 overall and 4–1–1 in the Metro East Conference. According to Minnesota-Scores.net, the Raiders are now ranked No. 25 in Class AA and appear to be hitting their stride at the right time.

They have shown they can dominate possession and finish chances but also scrap and hold their nerve in tight moments. With just a handful of regular season games left, the Raiders look like a team built for postseason soccer, balanced, confident, and dangerous.

Boys Fall to Park, Show Fight vs. Simley

The boys opened the week with their best effort in recent memory, even in defeat. On September 23, they went down 3–0 early to Simley, the top team in the Metro East Conference at 12–1–1, and looked like they might be overwhelmed.

Simley scored on its first two shots on goal, then added a third to build what appeared to be an insurmountable lead. But Hastings did not fold. Cayden Pollex got the Raiders on the board late in the first half, and some smart defensive adjustments from head coach Jamie Swanson turned the match around. The Spartans, red-hot early, were shut out in the second half.

Hastings kept pushing, and midway through the second frame, Malachi Beal struck to bring the score to 3–2. The comeback bid fell just short, but the Raiders made a game of it and gave one of the state’s top Class AA teams a late scare.

The momentum did not carry over. On September 27, Park came to town and handed Hastings a 4–0 loss in a match that was largely one-sided from start to finish. The Wolfpack scored twice in each half with goals from JJ Sanchez, Terry Espinoza-Garibay (twice), and Anthony Escobedo, and outshot the Raiders 16 to 3. Park controlled possession, dictated pace, and never let Hastings settle in.

Now 4–10 overall and 1–6 in conference play, the boys’ squad will look to carry the fight they showed against Simley into the final stretch. They have proven they can rally and compete with top-level opponents. Now it is about turning those moments into results.

Looking Ahead

With the calendar flipping to October, the final week of the regular season has arrived. The Hastings girls will host Mahtomedi on October 2 at 7 p.m. as their last regular season game. The game against North St. Paul that was scheduled later in the week has officially been forfeited by the Polars. The boys, meanwhile, finish with a two-game homestand, starting October 2 at 5 p.m. against Mahtomedi and wrapping up on October 4 at 1 p.m. versus Forest Lake.

Section tournament play begins October 8 for both teams, with higher seeds hosting the opening round. The boys, competing in Section 3AAA, sit in seventh place with a 1–4 section record and a QRF rank of 56. With just two games remaining, they are locked into the bottom half of the bracket and will be on the road to open postseason play.

The girls, on the other hand, are well-positioned heading into the Section 3AA playoffs. Sitting at 2–0 in section play and ranked 12th in QRF, Hastings currently holds second place behind Holy Angels. A strong showing against Mahtomedi could help solidify a top-four finish and secure a home playoff game on Wednesday. Still, as past years have shown, section voting can be unpredictable, and Hastings has not always benefited from the process. Regardless of the seeding, the Raiders are playing some of their best soccer of the season and are poised to make a run.