Sweet Homes’ boys soccer (1-8-1) faced a tough week, struggling through back-to-back losses. On Oct. 15, the team fell 3-0 to Philomath (6-4) at home, followed by a 6-0 defeat on the road against Newport (5-5-1) on Oct. 17.
“We spent a lot of time working on ball movement, positioning, and communication,” Head Coach Eric Stutzer commented. “That work paid off, and we played well against Philomath, even with several players out due to illness and injury. Our passion showed, and it was one of our best defensive efforts this season.”
Stutzer also noted that difficulties in the midfield play have hampered the team’s offensive effectiveness.
“Unfortunately, the sickness and injury issues carried over into the Newport match,” he added. “We conceded an early penalty kick on a questionable call, forcing us to adjust quickly.”
Despite the early setback in this match, Stutzer commended his team’s ability to regroup and compete.
“After those first 10 minutes, we settled down and held the defending state champions to just two more goals,” Stutzer said. “In the past, we’ve struggled to bounce back from adversity, so staying focused and playing well was a big step forward for us.”
Looking ahead, Stutzer is hopeful that improved midfield play and the return of key players will make a difference, especially as the team heads forward to face the toughest opponents in the state.
Sweet Home hopes to use the lessons learned from last week’s games to improve in their upcoming matchups. With two upcoming home matches the team will have played against North Marion (10-1) on Oct. 22, with another game on Oct. 24 versus Stayton (10-0).
No statistics were available at the time of publication.