Estacada 7, Sweet Home 0
The Huskies boys soccer team took a little while to settle down, but once they did they slowed down a tough Estacada attack.
Trailing 6-0 at halftime on the road Thursday against Estacada, they gave up only one more goal on the second half.
Out of the gate, the kids were working hard, but the team was experimenting, moving people around the field, said Coach Ryan Regrutto.
“The team we played against is a very good team, very tough for us to match up. They put up a good effort. They didn’t quit. They didn’t let down.”
They found the little mistakes that cost them three goals in five minutes at one point, he said, and they’ll be able to fix those mistakes quickly as long as the team is willing to work hard.
The Huskies athleticism is decent, and their soccer skills are ahead of where they’ve been in the past, Regrutto said. “It’s a different mindset.”
The Huskies found their groove in the second half with a focus on defense.
Patric Dishaw moved to defense from forward, making a big difference in the momentum.
“He’s one of those kids that’s got a lot of raw talent,” Regrutto said. “He worked well with the guys that were already back there.”
Goalie Gabe Redick got hurt, and Nick Rodgers filled in and did a tremendous job, Regrutto said, adding to the great job the rest of the defense was doing.
On the other end of the field, “we had very few chances on goal,” Regrutto said, but the defense came through in the end.
Regrutto is optimistic about his team, he said. “I think we started feeling more comfortable with the speed of the game.”
Few of the Huskies have much experience at varsity speeds, and that’s tough to simulate in practice until they have that experience, he said. With that game, they’re settling in and figuring things out.
“I’m really excited for this season,” he said.
The junior varsity tied Estacada 1-1, Regrutto said. Estacada scored a goal in the first 10 to 15 minutes.
After that, the Huskies played excellent soccer. They had the advantage, more chances and more possession than Estacada, bouncing the ball off the post a few times. The whole team played well.
Egan Shamek knocked in the Huskies’ goal with about 10 minutes left, tying the game.