Bucs soccer stays hungry, humble

The Hoover High School boys soccer team went into halftime tied 1-1 with rival Spain Park on March 11.  

But the score didn’t stay deadlocked for long. 

After the break, the Bucs received goals from Richard Ujueta, Caleb Cousineau and Dylan Steely en route to a 4-2 victory. 

“We got a little bit tired toward the end of the first half,” said Cousineau, a senior midfielder, “but second half, I mean, we came out and put away a couple of goals.” 

Hoover has found the back of the net with frequency this season. The Bucs outscored their opponents 46-9 through 13 games, accumulating a 10-1-2 record.

They were ranked third in Class 7A in the latest state coaches’ poll behind Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain. 

“We’ve got a lot of good soccer players,” Hoover head coach Kris Keplinger said. “It’s just trying to get that right formula and get everybody in the right positions and get everybody healthy.”

Hoover has started the season well even though it has yet to play at full strength. The Bucs’ top returning goal scorers, Vint Narvaez and Finn Dowdey, have missed the first half of the season with injuries.

Both are expected to retake the field soon, and their joint return could provide the spark Hoover needs to extend its season. The Bucs are competing with Oak Mountain and Thompson for the two playoff spots up for grabs in Area 5. 

“I mean, hopefully we can find a way to get into the playoffs,” Keplinger said. “You never know what can happen from that point.” 

Hoover advanced to the playoffs last year but fell to Mountain Brook 2-1 in the first round. The Spartans wound up advancing to the state semifinals. 

“Overall, it was just a hard-fought game,” Hoover goalkeeper Max Rudolph said. “We just missed a couple of chances. It was just unlucky, but I think that’s just going to motivate us more this year to get what we want.”

Rudolph did not play in his team’s loss to Mountain Brook last spring. He tore his right anterior cruciate ligament midway through the Bucs’ 2018 campaign and had to sit out the rest of the season. 

Rudolph, a senior, is now at full health. He backstops a defense that has been difficult for opposing teams to solve.   

“It’s kind of hard to get through us,” he said. 

In the game against Spain Park, Hoover limited the Jags’ scoring opportunities and controlled possession for much of the game. The two goals it conceded came on a breakaway and a penalty kick. 

Center back Juan Valle helped anchor the Bucs’ backline. 

“I felt pretty confident in the back,” Rudolph said. “I mean, the back defensive line kind of shut everything down.”

Cousineau, Steely, Nick Ibanez and Sam Bauder spearhead Hoover’s midfield. The group has overwhelmed opponents throughout the season with its combination of skill and speed. 

Cousineau said the team’s success stems from its preparation. 

“We come to practice with the mentality that we’re going to get better,” he said. “It’s not just we’re practicing to practice.” 

Cousineau played on Hoover’s junior varsity team as a freshman but opted to play club soccer the past two seasons. This year, however, he knew he wanted to be part of a team that is state-championship caliber. 

A blue map is well within the Bucs’ reach. 

“They need to continue to be hungry and humble,” Keplinger said. “If they’re hungry and they’re humble, we’ll do well.”