The Huskies lost 12-0 at Philomath in boys soccer Oct. 8.
“It wasn’t a very good game,” said Coach Eric Stutzer. “We came out again and were just really lethargic. One of the things we’re working on a lot right now is mindset.”
The goal is for the team to come together as a team and play with unity, he said, adding that while the Huskies play some of the most difficult teams in the state, they need a good mindset.
“It takes us awhile to calibrate,” Stutzer said. “It’s not something that’s easy to do.”
But as they build the right mindset, it translates to the field, he said. He saw that in tough games against Lebanon, Woodburn and Elmira.
Against Philomath, “our defensive line got confused very quickly and gave up a couple of goals,” Stutzer said. That was frustrating, and one player grabbed the ball and slammed it into the ground, giving up another goal on a penalty kick.
By the end of the first half, the Huskies were trailing 7-0.
“I felt like we played a lot better in the second half,” Stutzer said, although the Huskies still had a lot of breakdowns.
The Huskies didn’t get a lot of offensive push, he said. They did get a couple of good looks, and Caleb Christman had a great shot that should have gone in. Philomath’s keeper made a great play to keep it out of the net.
Gavin Ervia had another good shot that was deflected in a good defensive play, Stutzer said.
On defense, the Huskies had a few problems, he said. The defensive play was collapsing to the left, which left the middle and right more open.
The Huskies were winning some 50-50 balls on the left, but they weren’t getting any on the right, he said.
In the goal, Tristan Calkins collected 12 saves, Stutzer said, and one was “phenomenal” quality. Calkins played goalie for the first half. Evan Towry picked up four saves and Zach Zanona picked up five saves manning the net in the second half.
The Huskies were scheduled to play at Stayton Tuesday. They next face Cascade on the road on Oct. 22 and will host Sisters at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 24 and Newport on Oct. 29 to finish the season.
How well they do will depend on their mindset, Stutzer said. If they can come together, play as one team, he believes the Huskies can surprise Sisters or Newport.
Cascade will be tougher with a narrower grass field, he said. He thinks the Huskies can be competitive with Sisters.
The Huskies were nominated this week for the OSAA Sportsmanship Award, Stutzer said. “We’re still exemplifying sportsmanship.”
That’s huge for any team let alone a team that’s faced the adversity Sweet Home has, he said. “It’s one of the best honors you can get as a team.”
He hopes that will pay dividends going forward.
“Even in losing, we’ve always played with a lot of heart,” Stutzer said.