Independence Boys Soccer standout Aiden Kwiatkowski was ready when his opportunity arrived.
Kwiatkowski converted the game’s only goal, and Independence’s defense took care of the rest Saturday as the Blue Devils earned a 1-0 road victory over Oberlin for their fourth consecutive win.
- More From OhioVarsity.com: Independence blanks Horizon Science Academy for third straight win
The victory improved Independence to 6-1 and gave the Blue Devils their third straight shutout.
“This was one of our toughest matchups to date,” Independence coach Dominic Buttari said. “We also had some guys playing in different positions. I’m really happy with the way the team hung together and responded to adversity to get a tough win.”
Blue Devils stay patient
Independence entered the game having scored nine goals during the first three games of its winning streak, but Oberlin made the Blue Devils work considerably harder to find the breakthrough.
Help Ohio Varsity Tell More Stories
Ohio Varsity is independently owned and provides local coverage of high school athletes, teams and communities throughout Northeast Ohio.
One-time and monthly donations available through PayPal.
The teams went into halftime scoreless despite Independence creating opportunities.
“Their keeper made a couple good saves to keep us off the board,” Buttari said. “Overall the attack was working; we were just missing that final touch in the first half.”
Eventually, the Blue Devils found it.
Jackson Scarcella delivered a goal kick that became dangerous when the ball skipped through in the wet conditions. Kwiatkowski reacted first, raced onto it and put his finish into the bottom corner.
“Aiden scored on a nice goal kick from Jackson that skipped through due to the weather,” Buttari said. “As always, he was first to react to the opportunity and slotted the ball into the bottom corner on the run.”
Scarcella was credited with the assist.
Kwiatkowski strikes again
The goal continued a productive stretch for Kwiatkowski, who has now scored in two consecutive games.
Buttari said Kwiatkowski’s work rate and growing confidence have helped him become increasingly dangerous in the Independence attack.
“Aiden runs so hard and has a knack for being in the right spot,” Buttari said. “He’s starting to get some more confidence on the ball, which is allowing him to take these chances and really lift our attack and team.”
With only one goal separating the teams, Independence needed another complete effort defensively to finish the job.
The Blue Devils delivered.
Three straight clean sheets
Independence has not surrendered a goal since its 4-1 victory at Brooklyn on Sept. 1.
The Blue Devils followed that performance with a 3-0 win over Cuyahoga Heights, a 2-0 victory over Horizon Science Academy and Saturday’s 1-0 shutout of Oberlin.
Independence has outscored its opponents 10-1 during its four-game winning streak.
“The key to the defense has been versatility and hard work all year,” Buttari said. “Our back line has done phenomenally, and many different guys have stepped up to help out back there due to injuries throughout the season.”
That adaptability was especially important Saturday with players again working in different positions.
The result was another zero on the opponent’s side of the scoreboard.
Metro race heats up
Independence’s recent surge has the Blue Devils positioned for a significant Chagrin Valley Conference Metro Division matchup Tuesday.
The Blue Devils are 2-1 in conference play and trail Fairview and Beachwood, which both sit at 2-0-1.
Independence travels to Fairview on Sept. 15 with an opportunity to make the Metro race even tighter.
Since a 5-1 loss to Beachwood on Aug. 25, Independence has answered with four consecutive victories.
“It’s a good time to be a Blue Devil,” Buttari said. “There’s a long way to go, but we keep working towards our goal every day.”
More Boys Soccer Coverage From OhioVarsity.com
26INDEPENDENCE BLUE DEVILS Boys Soccer
2026-2027 Independence Blue Devils Boys Soccer Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Result | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 18, 2026 Tuesday | W 3-0 | 5:30 PM | Medina Christian Academy | |
| Aug. 20, 2026 Thursday | W 2-1 | 7:00 PM | Euclid | |
| Aug. 25, 2026 Tuesday | L 1-5 | 7:00 PM | Independence | |
| Sep. 1, 2026 Tuesday | W 4-1 | 7:00 PM | Brooklyn | |
| Sep. 8, 2026 Tuesday | W 3-0 | 7:00 PM | Independence Watch | |
| Sep. 10, 2026 Thursday | W 2-0 | 5:00 PM | Independence Watch | |
| Sep. 12, 2026 Saturday | vs  Oberlin | W 1-0 | 1:00 PM | Oberlin |
| Sep. 15, 2026 Tuesday | L 0-5 | 6:30 PM | Fairview Watch | |
| Sep. 22, 2026 Tuesday | T 1-1 | 5:00 PM | Trinity | |
| Sep. 24, 2026 Thursday | L 0-1 | 7:00 PM | Independence | |
| Sep. 28, 2026 Monday | vs  Tuslaw | T 2-2 | 7:00 PM | Independence |
| Sep. 29, 2026 Tuesday | W 4-0 | 7:00 PM | Shaw | |
| Oct. 1, 2026 Thursday | L 0-6 | 7:00 PM | Stan Skoczen Stadium at Alumni Field Watch | |
| Oct. 5, 2026 Monday | @  Garfield | W 8-0 | 7:00 PM | Garrettsville Garfield |
| Oct. 7, 2026 Wednesday | W 4-1 | 5:00 PM | Independence | |
| Oct. 10, 2026 Saturday | W 4-0 | 7:00 PM | VASJ High School | |
| Oct. 15, 2026 Thursday | W 3-1 | 7:00 PM | Clearview | |
| Oct. 21, 2026 Wednesday | vs  South RangePOSTSEASON | L 0-2 | 7:00 PM | Independence Watch |
Medina Christian Knights
Euclid Panthers
Beachwood Bison
Brooklyn Hurricanes
Cuyahoga Heights Red Wolves
Horizon Science Academy
Fairview Warriors
Trinity Trojans
Crestwood Red Devils
Shaw Cardinals
Berkshire Badgers
VASJ Vikings
Clearview
