Wekiva boys soccer walked into Boone on Tuesday night, riding a four-game win streak, and walked out with a statement victory that not only extended their streak but rewrote program history.  

The Mustangs’ 2-1 win over the Braves pushed them to 8-1-1, marking the most wins recorded by a Wekiva team in a single season, surpassing the previous record of seven set back in 2011-12. 

The Mustangs had a close battle with the Braves to get there. 

The first half was a scoreless dogfight, with both teams cutting off each other’s counterattacks and refusing to let the game open up. Boone owned the ball for short stretches – roughly 60/40 in possession – and generated more shots on goal, but Wekiva stayed disciplined.  

The Braves limited Wekiva’s trademark runs and forced them into deeper positions, keeping the match tight and physical through the first 40 minutes. 

The second half opened evenly, but Wekiva still struggled to create opportunities. That changed in an instant with 26 minutes left, when goaltender Sebastian Galves stepped up for a long free kick from beyond midfield. He launched a missile deep into Boone’s box, where it deflected off a Braves’ defender’s head, then off the diving keeper’s hand and into the goal for a stunning own goal that put Wekiva ahead 1-0. 

Minutes later, just before the water break, the Mustangs found their second goal using their relentless pressure. A long through ball toward Ricardo Garcia looked too far for him to reach, but he kept sprinting through the defender, who eventually tapped the ball back to his keeper. 

Garcia didn’t quit on the play, and the extra effort paid off. As the Boone goalkeeper tried to clear the ball past the oncoming Garcia, he drilled it right into Garcia’s back, deflecting it straight into the net. The whistle blew for the water break as the Mustangs celebrated a wild 2-0 lead with 20 minutes left in the game. 

Boone finally broke through at the 18-minute mark when their striker slipped behind the defense and beat Galves one-on-one. That goal shifted pressure squarely onto Wekiva for the rest of the match. 

From there, the Mustangs had to survive. Boone kept most of the possession, but Wekiva’s back line refused to give up clean shots. Whenever the Braves did break through, Galves delivered. The senior keeper stood on his head all night, making multiple diving saves and controlling rebounds under heavy pressure.  

Boone nearly tied the match with five minutes remaining when a long-distance strike rattled off the post. 

After a late timeout, Wekiva stayed composed. They cleared their lines, avoided turnovers and kept the ball away from their net long enough to hold on for the 2-1 win, one that etched their name into the program’s record book. 

The victory also extended their win streak to five, a run that has showcased Wekiva’s ability to win in every style. The streak began Nov. 20 in a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over Lake Buena Vista with goals from Omar Roman and David Bohdert.  

They followed that with a 3-1 victory over Cornerstone Charter behind goals from Jeronimo Sanchez, Harold Jimenez-Hernandez and Roman. Their 5-3 win over Jones saw five different Mustangs score, and they gutted out a gritty 1-0 road win at East River last Friday thanks to Billy Pu Lopez’s first goal of the season, assisted by Jimenez-Hernandez. 

They’ve proven they can win by blowout, holding a tight lead, or even coming back while down in the second half. 

Offensively, Jimenez-Hernandez has been the anchor with a standout nine goals and two assists. Roman has four goals and an assist, while Kevin Fuentes-Ortega has been a strong playmaker with a team-leading five assists and two goals. 

When asked what has sparked this breakout season, assistant coach Jordain James pointed directly to the players. 

“From last season, we definitely got better improvement,” James said. “We still got things to work on, but I will just give all the credit to the boys. They’ve executed the plays down the stretch that we gave them and are doing a better job listening to what we’re saying and playing hard. So it’s a combination of things.” 

As for what comes next, James said the plan starts with getting healthy. 

“Well, first things first, we’ve got to get some of our guys healthy. We are banged up at this point, so we’re looking forward to the break,” he said. “And after that, we continue pushing forward, playing our brand of soccer. That’s all we can do at this point.” 

With a record season already secured and momentum behind them, the Mustangs are building something special for Wekiva. 

They hit the road for a 6:30 p.m. showdown on Thursday with the Ridgeview Global Studies Academy Explorers (1-8), before a much-needed four-day break.