Sweet Home’s boys soccer team lost a couple of home contests last week, falling 1-0 to Sisters and 4-1 to Newport/Eddyville Charter.
In the Sisters match, at home March 9, Head Coach Eric Stutzer said that he thought his team played pretty well.
“Defensively, it was probably the best we’ve looked in a couple of years,” he said. “Max Klumph played an excellent game. Chris Christman really played a good game. Evan Towry as keeper came up with a ton of saves and was very impressive. Even the other team’s coach complimented on how well he did.”
“We were really able to do some of the things that we’ve struggled with, like covering people down the field and preventing shots. We were winning 50-50 balls a lot more. It was just a really good defensive look,” he said.
Stutzer was not as impressed with his team’s offense against Sisters.
“I felt like our offense kind of staggered a little bit. We went away from some of the things that we were doing well the previous three games and started becoming a little bit more linear, trying to force the ball down the field rather than being creative. And a lot of that struggle happened in the midfield play.”
“Our midfield just didn’t look very good that game. We were getting pressure but then we weren’t getting back and playing so that we could create opportunities and transition.”
Stutzer gave credit to his opponent’s defense. “Sister’s defense is very physical,” he said. “So it was difficult to get a really good open look.”
“All in all, Sisters put eight points up on Crook County, and for us to hold them to one goal in a game where we very much have struggled in the past was a real win, I think, for the team,” Stutzer said.
“I felt pretty good about where we were at mentally,” he added. “I felt like our mental presence in the game showed exceptional improvement from where we had been at in previous seasons and also in previous games.”
While Stutzer reiterated that his team didn’t put on as much offensive pressure against Sisters as he would have liked, he said that “the pressure we did put on was a lot more controlled and a little bit more deliberate, rather than chaotic like it was when we faced Cascade.”
Sisters scored the only goal of the game late in the first half. It came when Sweet Home’s goalkeeper and a defender were on the ground tying their shoes while Sisters put the ball in play from a throw in.
“For whatever reason it didn’t get communicated or the ref didn’t see it,” said Stutzer. “It definitely could have been a tie game if we did not have that one mistake.”
In the match versus Newport/Eddyville Charter, which the Huskies also hosted later in the week, on March 11, Stutzer said he had a number of players that weren’t 100% in the aftermath of the physical game against Sisters. Sweet Home had to sit two defensive starters, which really hurt, as Newport scored four times, Stutzer said.
“We had to reposition people. So a lot of people that were offensive players and have been playing in the midfield ended up playing on the defensive side of the ball. We had some people on defense that weren’t in their normal positions, and it created a lot of chaos at the beginning of the game. They weren’t very organized.”
“It allowed Newport to come at us very deliberately and with confidence, and we gave up a couple of goals very quickly in the game that we probably shouldn’t have.”
Stutzer said his team played as hard as they could, however.
“But it just wasn’t the type of performance that we were looking for,” he said. “We definitely could have done better. We could have been more organized and we could have had a lot more communication.”
“A lesson learned is that we’re going to have to be very prepared to play positions that we’re not used to playing,” said Stutzer.
Newport scored three goals in the first 20 minutes of play to take the air out of the Huskies’ sails early on in the contest.
But Stutzer did see some quality play from his squad.
“Eddie Martinez-Maya had an excellent game. Joey Hiementz played a phenomenal game, probably the best game that I’ve seen him play in three years. He stepped in on defense and saved two goals, one with his head and one coming across that were just exceptional plays.”
Freshman Ben Tolman scored the Huskies’ first goal of the season, with Colton Savri, also a freshman, assisting.
“That really creates a boost of confidence, especially in a young team like we have, when two freshman can come in even when we’re down by four points, and create an opportunity where they work together,” Stutzer said. “I was very happy with that.”