In their first full season back on the pitch during the pandemic, the Cyclones made sure to let other teams know they were ready to play.

They hung with every team they faced, no matter if they were outsized or encountered a nationally ranked squad. This hardworking crew was in it every time they were on the field.

"We didn't win big games, but we were close. We were in the group of the best teams in the region. It's like we were IN those conversations. I'd rather us be in the conversations than trying to get in. We proved this year we can hang," said Head Coach Chris Koloffon, ending his first official season leading the program.

The Cyclones finished 8-5 overall, one of those losses being a forfeit due to technicalities, and 3-3 in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference. Three of those defeats were to nationally ranked teams, including the Region IV quarterfinal game against Triton College that ended the season. The Cyclones were leading in that game and lost in overtime. All the others were equally close matchups. Coach Koloffon chalks up the difference to his team comprised mostly of freshmen with only four veterans in the starting lineup. They also didn't have a true goal scorer; however, third-year player Fernando Barragan became the scoring punch from the midfield. He collected 10 goals and 10 assists this season. He, along with third-year teammate Colin Kroll, who scored seven goals, each earned All-Region IV honors for their work.

It was tricky for the Cyclones to get continuity this fall after having an uncertain, short and uncharacteristic spring season due to COVID-19. Then the team didn't know who was able to return, so the players couldn't adjust to each other as seamlessly as usual. Plus, they acquired a new assistant coach in Javier Roman, who coached at rival Morton College.

Despite the obstacles, the Cyclones were a cohesive group that expects to return most of the players. They'll lose Barragan, Kroll, midfielder Declan Kelly, forward Michael Strama and goalkeeper Andruw Martinez, who averaged a .719 save percentage, all third-year players. Freshmen defensive players Aldo Lagunas, Carlos Villanueva and Eduardo Franco stepped up and became a powerful backline for the Cyclones, and all are expected to return in 2022. Nikodem Kurzeja, an All-Region player in 2019, also returned to the Cyclones a few games after the start of the season and became another help on defense.

"Overall, it was pretty close to the way we thought the season would go. It took time for our freshmen to adjust to the pace and physical nature of the game at the college level, but we won all the games we were supposed to," Koloffon said. "The guys were professional and tremendous throughout the year."

Koloffon looks forward to a full year of recruiting, continuity and building an even stronger team to go deeper into the playoffs in 2022.