Sweet Home’s boys beat Sutherlin 2-0 in soccer at home Thursday evening.
“The first half we didn’t execute,” said Coach Eric Stutzer. “We passed well, but we just weren’t executing. We were not getting the shots on goal.”
The Huskies messed around for the first half hour, and it gave Sutherlin some confidence, he said. “I think we had the game well in hand, but the first half was not indicative of how we can play. I was not happy with the first half of play.”
But Ramon Mateo managed to score the first goal halfway through the first half.
In the second half, the Huskies looked better and were creating opportunities but still had some trouble finishing, Stutzer said. “I was pleased with the second half of play.”
Austin Stevens scored their second goal about 10 minutes into the second half.
The last 10 minutes looked like the first part of the game though, Stutzer said. The Huskies are a team that can go places in league this year, but they can’t start sluggishly and give up early goals and put themselves into situations like they did in the first half when Sutherlin scored but had the goal withdrawn over a call for off sides.
Stutzer complimented Sutherlin’s keeper, Michael Eastwood, who made some great saves. Reinaldo Alcantar made some good defensive plays while Bryce Olsen played a good game in midfield.
On the Huskies side of the ball, Stutzer praised Alsonso Perez, Rawlins Lupoli and Tristan Graham, who had five or six good shots on goal as a defender.
On the road on Sept. 20, the Huskies lost to Sisters 7-1.
“Any time we play Sisters, we feel like we have this David and Goliath mentality,” Stutzer said, but “don’t realize the giant can be slain.”
Sisters is beatable in Sisters, he said, but the Huskies get off the bus with the mentality they won’t win the game.
Some of the responsibility is coaching, trying to manage an undermanned team with injuries, ineligibilities and no subs against a strong team like Sisters, Stutzer said, but the Huskies played evenly against Sisters for the most part early in the game.
Take away an early penalty kick and defensive error, it was an even game, Stutzer said. The Huskies were down 2-0 at halftime.
That’s when the mental game comes into play, Stutzer said. With no subs, it became “we don’t need to win this one.”
Sisters is good, Stutzer said, “but they’re not out of our league. We need to believe the giant can fall.”
The Huskies scored when Rowland Lupoli subbed out of the goal and took the ball down the field, took a shot and found the net.
The Huskies had four good shots on the game, with three of them in the first half, Stutzer said. Sisters didn’t have much more in the first half, just six or seven.
He gave kudos to Sisters Coach Rob Jensen, who made some halftime adjustments that caused the Huskies some problems.
The Huskies are second in league with a 2-1 record. They trail Sisters, 3-0. Elmira and Cottage Grove tied each other in their first league game and are tied for third with records of 1-1-1.
Junction City is third with a record of 1-2, and Sutherlin is in last place with no wins.
The Huskies were scheduled to travel to Cottage Grove on Tuesday and Elmira on Thursday with the second round of league play beginning next Tuesday at home against Junction City.