The Sweet Home High School boys officially recorded their best year ever in varsity soccer – four weeks into their season – when they defeated Sutherlin on the road 8-0 on Sept. 22.
They extended their overall record to 4-3 last week, eclipsing their 2004 record of three wins and a tie.
Thursday at home, Cottage Grove scored the only goal with 20 minutes left in the game and defeated the Huskies 1-0. But Sweet Home never let up in its quest for a win.
Cottage Grove shot the ball 10 times, but three of those were really good looks, said Sweet Home Coach Eric Stutzer. That one goal went in on a defensive breakdown, Keeper Nic Dishaw had a phenomenal block and one was a missed opportunity for the Lions.
He thinks his team ought to have won that game, Stutzer said. Sweet Home controlled the ball 70 to 80 percent of the game.
The Huskies had a perfect storm for defensive decision-making when Cottage Grove initiated a fast break, Stutzer said. The defenders misstepped and didn’t converge on the ball over probable miscommunication, and Dishaw didn’t step out and stop the break as a Cottage Grove forward plowed into the goal.
“I felt like they were just playing boot ball,” Stutzer said of Cottage Grove, 5-2 and second in league.
“We played really solid soccer up to that point,” Stutzer said, and then they played some more good soccer. It took a few minutes to recover, but the Huskies kept their composure. Their play in a contest against Sisters a couple of weeks ago would have translated into more goals for Cottage Grove.
On the Huskies side of the ball, there were “a couple plays I was disappointed with, but for the most part, kudos to the kids,” Stutzer said. They played well against a good team, and they fixed some things.
In midfield, Alonso Perez and Nick Rodgers worked well together and put on an early passing clinic, Stutzer said. “I think it really caught Cottage Grove off guard. It took a lot out of Cottage Grove. Nic recorded eight saves, one super save (blocking a shot and flicking it over the top of the goal). It’s just a shame they didn’t walk off with a win there.
“We’ve learned something. We didn’t back down. We didn’t lose composure. We hung in there, and we actually came back. We really consolidated ourselves. We fixed a lot of problems we were experiencing.”
The Huskies discovered they can compete with this team, Stutzer said. Cottage Grove has always been a tough opponent for the Huskies. They lost 5-0 and 3-1 to the Lions last year and 6-0 and 8-0 the year before.
Sutherlin was the Huskies’ first shutout this year, Stutzer said. “It was over the first 15 minutes. I was already pulling players. I wasn’t prepared to go ahead that fast.”
The Huskies split games with Sutherlin last year.
Egan Shamek and Perez each scored three goals. Tyler Becker, a junior varsity player, scored a goal, and Ramon Fry scored a goal.
The Huskies led 4-0 at halftime. Sutherline shot the ball three times. The Huskies shot the ball more than 30 times.
The guys know they have some talent, Stutzer said, but “I think that the guys are a little bit surprised.”
Their successes have been a confidence boost, and it showed against Cottage Grove.
“If they continue to play well and minimize mistakes and keep their composure they’ll continue to do good,” Stutzer said. In addition to composure, their ability to play under pressure, the Huskies also are working together, as a unified team. That’s something the coaching staff has been emphasizing the past couple of years.
“I can’t give enough credit to the kids,” Stutzer said. “They’ve really turned a corner.”
Stutzer continues to give kudos to Ryan Regrutto, who last coached two years ago, for his work, laying the foundation that led to their success this year. Regrutto, an engineer, moved to New Mexico earlier this year to take a job with the U.S. Department of Defense.
At the junior varsity level, the Huskies lost 7-0 to Cottage Grove.
The Huskies were scheduled to host Elmira at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and travel to Junction City on Thursday and sisters next Tuesday. Game time on the road is 4:30 p.m.