Just one year ago, then junior Hayden Xhokaxhiu received All-State honors for his performance on the soccer pitch. It’s hard to believe someone could improve so drastically after already being an All-State player, but for Xhokaxhiu, that’s the reality.
Fast forward to today, Xhokaxhiu is a senior and just wrapped up his final regular season as a Bobcat. After scoring just five goals as a junior, albeit playing as a defender, Xhokaxhiu exploded off the charts this season.
Xhokaxhiu found the back of the net in all but one game, ending with 29 total regular season goals, setting the new school single season goal record that had stood for a decade prior (27). But with the state tournament coming up next, the senior has a chance to absolutely shatter the total record (regular & post season) that currently sits at 32.
In the CCC tournament, Xhokaxhiu tacked on one more to bring his total to 30. With the first round of the state tournament on Friday, October 31, the Bobcats host Hamden, where Xhokaxhiu will look to lead the ‘Cats to their first playoff win in three years.
During the game against Newtown on October 18, Xhokaxhiu stepped up for a penalty shot after senior Chris Maio was fouled inside the box. Xhokaxhiu stepped up, aimed left, and buried the shot to give him his 28th and record setting goal.
Breaking a school record will make anyone emotional, and for Xhokaxhiu, he felt all the emotion. “It’s a surreal feeling. It’s crazy to think that I’ll leave a mark on the High School that has a chance to stay for years,” Xhokaxhiu told The Prowl.
As a freshman, Xhokaxhiu got playing time on varsity and was part of the 14 win team that went all the way to the state quarterfinals. Head coach Pete Lepak knows the special kind of player he has in Xhokaxhiu, saying “Coaching Hayden has been a pleasure. Since his freshman year, all he’s wanted to do is make South Windsor soccer a force.”
Xhokaxhiu finds himself among the top goal scorers in the state, but unlike most prolific scorers, Xhokaxhiu has 13 assists to pair with his 30 goals. “The sky is the limit for him. He sees the game so well and is just as happy to score as he is to set up teammates with a great pass,” Lepak said.
After an up and down junior year, Xhokaxhiu knew he had to help the team rebound in his final campaign, “This season has been nothing but successful. Coming off last season’s 7-8-1 [record] in the regular season, we knew as a team we had to turn things around and we definitely did,” Xhokaxhiu stated.
As a two-time team captain, Xhokaxhiu is doing his best to channel his team’s focus, “We’re now focusing on states, with a first round against a strong Hamden team. Our goal is to focus on one game at a time and make a deep run,” Xhokaxhiu said.
What Xhokaxhiu did in his senior season is insurmountable. A historic and one of a kind season done by a historic, one of a kind player. Xhokaxhiu’s name will be etched in school history as the single season goal king and potentially even being the state player of the year, but he’d trade that all in a heartbeat to bring a state title home to South Windsor.
