West Chicago's boys soccer team has won six of its last seven games heading into Tuesday's Upstate Eight Conference road game at Fenton.

The Wildcats (7-3-4, 2-0 conference) opened the season with draws against Benet, Morton and Naperville North in three of their first four games. Head coach Jose Villa told the Daily Herald those early results exposed areas to fix.

"Those first games were challenging and made it tough for us," Villa said. "It allowed us to see some flaws and work on those areas."

Since a 2-2 draw with St. Viator on Sept. 12, West Chicago has won six of seven. The lone blemish was a 1-0 loss to Glenbard North on Sept. 24, the opening game of the Glenbard North Quad in Carol Stream.

The Wildcats answered two days later. Junior midfielder Julian Lopez scored three goals in a 3-0 win over York in the Quad's third-place match on Saturday, Sept. 26, his first career hat trick, according to Chicagoland Soccer. Lopez connected at the 29th minute on an assist from Mauricio Uribe, again in the 39th minute off a free kick, and once more in the second half with Sean Fitzgerald providing the helper.

The shutout was West Chicago's seventh of the season. Senior defender Diego Bustos earned all-tournament honors at the Quad.

Villa said after the York win that the team's finishing in the attacking third had been a struggle at times and that putting three goals in was a big step. Lopez, a three-year starter, said after Sunday's third-place match that the team's passing has improved steadily since the opening stretch.

"Right now, I think we're a solid team, and like hopefully can go on and win more trophies this season," Lopez said.

West Chicago sits first in the Upstate Eight East at 2-0 and earned honorable mention in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 poll. The Wildcats are classified in IHSA Division 3A.

Tuesday's opponent, Fenton (4-7-1), has dropped four of its last five games, including a 3-0 loss to Downers Grove North on Sept. 25. The Bison enter the matchup looking to snap a slide that has pushed them well below .500.

Villa said the commitment across the roster has fueled the turnaround, and the Wildcats will look to strengthen their playoff positioning at Fenton on Tuesday.