Laken Hadley

Eliot Allen (11) sets up to take a free kick against Westminster Christian Academy. The game was played Oct. 29, and the Rams won 1-0. “I was injured for most of [the season], but the experience I had, even being on the bench, watching us beat some great teams and get revenge on some others, was amazing,” Allen said.

In a tight matchup Nov. 10, the Ladue boys soccer team lost 2-1 to Saint Louis University High School in the Class 4 District 2 Finals.

“[Before the game we] definitely felt nervous but mostly loose,” Eliot Allen (11) said. “Aronberg always says how we need to play loose, confident, and focused.” 

Earlier in the season, the team lost 2-0 to SLUH, so they were the underdogs coming into the game. In order to advance to the state quarterfinal round, a team must first win districts, and if they lose a game, then their season ends. 

“[This game] was the most motivated I’ve ever seen the team,” Allen said. “It was like something clicked, a feeling like this could be the end of our season, so we all went and played our hearts out.”

At halftime, SLUH was winning by one but scored another early in the second half to make it 2-0. The Rams did not get down, however, and fought to put a goal on the board, reducing the Jr. Billiken’s lead.

“That goal [we scored] pushed us even farther, and chances started coming,” Allen said. “It was unfortunate we couldn’t finish any of those chances, but that goal definitely pushed us 20 times harder.”

For the last minutes of the game, Ladue battered SLUH and got many opportunities to even the score. Nonetheless, the game ended in a devastating 2-1 loss, and SLUH took home the district title. 

“The game was heartbreaking,” Allen said. “Seeing some of the strongest people I knew break down was not a feeling I ever expected. Last year’s win put this expectation that high school soccer is all fun, but it can also be heart breaking.”