By SCOTT M. BURNSTEIN

Special to The Oakland Press

ROYAL OAK — Gutting out games in hostile waters under unsavory conditions tests a team’s character. Rochester Adams passed such a test with flying colors, going on the road to face off against Royal Oak on Tuesday night and coming out with a 3-1 win.

The game, played in the midst of a steady and hard rain, was won by the Highlanders in the second half, when they scored two straight goals to break a 1-1 deadlock in the final 25 minutes.

Kosta Patsarikis notched the game-winner off an assist from senior forward Joey Dillon. Justin Weineke followed with an insurance goal, also off an assist from Dillon, who scored the first goal of the night on a penalty kick in the first half.

Josh Hickey, the Highlanders head coach, liked what he saw from his squad when faced with the weather’s unfriendly elements.

“The weather was a factor on both ends, but my guys played tough to the end and took home a very respectable win,” he said. “I think the rain disrupted each of our gameplans at the start and both of us had to adjust. We put in our chances and played strong defense. That’s what wins soccer games. This matchup tonight was what a conference game should be — it was aggressive to the point of neither team playing dirty and it was heated until the final whistle blew. I think we did an exceptional job of matching their intensity.”

Adams pushes its overall record to 10-3-3, 8-2-1 in the Oakland Activities Association Red Division. The victory guarantees the Highlanders, ranked No. 10 in the state in Division 1 by The Associated Press, at least a second-place finish in the conference.

Senior netminder Kevin Soisson stretched out to make four saves and collect the win in goal.

Royal Oak knotted the game at 1-1 early in the second half off a goal by Luke Miller.

The Ravens fall to 12-3-4 overall, 5-3-2 in league play. Wilson Jenkins made a game-high six saves for Royal Oak.

Despite taking it on the chin on Tuesday, the Ravens have been playing solid soccer all season long. At one point in the time, they held a state ranking. Head coach Aaron Pheil is happy with his team’s overall effort.

“We played hard the whole game, and I thought if a bounce would have gone one way or another, we could have come out of this one with a win,” he said. “This was a well-played contest all around. Each team laid it all out there. Adams was the better team tonight, plain and simple. We had our chances at the net and couldn’t finish. It’s frustrating, but these kids are winners and I know they’ll bounce back.”

Adams doesn’t have much time to celebrate its win. The Highlanders must immediately start preparing for a sure-to-be difficult non-conference home game against perennial power Warren De La Salle on Thursday. After that, the Highlanders will head into game-planning mode for their cross-town showdown with Rochester on Monday.