Men's Soccer 8/24/2026 9:51:00 PM

Hawks Open 2026 Season with Back-to-Back Draws

Palatine, IL: The Harper Hawks men's soccer team opened the 2026 season with back-to-back draws, beginning with a road matchup at Kankakee on August 20 before returning home to face Morton on August 22.

The season opener at Kankakee featured no shortage of opportunities for the Hawks. Harper recorded 24 total shots, including five on goal, while also earning six corner kicks in each half. Despite consistently creating chances and applying pressure throughout the match, the Hawks were unable to find the breakthrough.

Kristian Vladimirov and Noah Anderson each received yellow cards in the second half, while goalkeeper Danny Duarte recorded two saves after halftime to help preserve the draw. While Harper left the match still searching for its first goal of the season, the Hawks showed an ability to generate opportunities and control stretches of play.

Two days later, Harper welcomed Region 4 rival Morton for its home opener. The two teams played an evenly contested first half before the Hawks broke through early in the second half. Abdul (Abdurakhmon) Abduvaliev put Harper on the board with a strike from just outside the half circle, finishing a well-placed feed from Ryan Andresen.

The Hawks' lead was short-lived, however. Seven minutes later, Duarte was issued a yellow card following a save in the box, resulting in a penalty kick opportunity for Morton. The visitors converted the PK to even the match at 1-1.

Morton carried momentum for the next several minutes, but the Hawks held firm and prevented the visitors from taking the lead. Harper had several promising opportunities late in the match, including a few strong looks in the closing minutes, but neither side could find a game-winning goal.

After opening the season with two draws, the Hawks will have a week away from competition before returning to action on Wednesday, September 2, when they travel to face MATC.

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Players Mentioned

#15 Abdul (Abdurakhmon) Abduvaliev: CB / RB; Sophomore

#14 Kristian Vladimirov: CB / CM; Sophomore

#9 Noah Anderson: RW / ST; Freshman

#3 Ryan Andresen: LB / RB; Freshman

#0 Danny Duarte: GK; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#15 Abdul (Abdurakhmon) Abduvaliev
: Sophomore
: CB / RB

#14 Kristian Vladimirov
: Sophomore
: CB / CM

#9 Noah Anderson
: Freshman
: RW / ST

#3 Ryan Andresen
: Freshman
: LB / RB

#0 Danny Duarte
: Freshman
: GK