Sweet Home 4, Elmira 3
Following a string of goals and close games, the Sweet Home High School boys soccer team snapped a long losing streak on the road Thursday, defeating Elmira 4-3.
More than the win, they showed what “complete commitment” can do on the field, said Coach Ryan Regrutto. “It was a heck of a game. It was awesome.”
It wasn’t handed to them, he said. There was no bad luck or good luck that swung the game their way. It was their hard work and commitment on the field.
“I think all of last year, we scored four goals,” Regrutto said.
That drought has ended. In each of the three games leading up to Elmira, the Huskies scored two goals, losing to Cottage Grove 4-2 at home on Sept. 25, at East Linn Christian Academy 4-2 on Sept. 21 and losing 11-2 to Taft on Sept. 13.
“We have been scoring goals,” Regrutto said. “We’ve been a bit more offensively powerful. It helps to win games if you can score goals.”
And that scoring is coming from all over the roster.
The Huskies scored their first goal within the first 10 minutes, Regrutto said. “We came out and played them really tough.”
The Huskies were pressuring the Elmira defense, and the Falcon’s keeper was a little off the line, Regrutto said. Parke Young put it in the net over the goalie’s head.
The team was feeling pretty good, Regrutto said. A few minutes later Wyatt Hayes caught the keeper out of position again. No one had clear possession of the ball, but Hayes got his foot on it and put it in again. Ole Olsen rounded out the half for the Huskies shooting a long ball over the keeper.
Elmira managed to score a single goal and trailed 3-1 at halftime.
“We were feeling pretty good at halftime,” Regrutto said. “This is uncharted territory for us.”
His team was playing well, he said. “The one thing you can say about Elmira is they work hard and don’t quit.”
Everyone was playing great in the second half, but Elmira’s persistence paid off as they caught a couple of opportunities and put the ball in the net to tie the game 3-3.
But the Huskies stayed persistent too, showing “complete commitment,” Regrutto said. They didn’t let a mistake in the back get to them, although with the rush of leading the game, they were probably trying to play a little more technical style of soccer than usual.
Elmira tied the game with about 10 minutes left on a long throw inbounds, Regrutto said. And a Husky put a hand on it, giving Elmira a free shot at the goal.
Going into the two 10-minute overtime periods, “I think it was evident to a lot of people in the stands, myself, the mood changed,” Regrutto said. “The kids were not protecting a win any more.”
Their mood was “let’s go win,” Regrutto said. They turned it back into their game.
Toward the end of the first period, Nick Rodgers picked up the ball and dribbled to a beautiful shot over the keeper on the right side to secure the win, Regrutto said.
“I’m so proud of these kids,” Regrutto said, although they missed a couple of opportunities, which means there’s still room for improvement.
“The thing that was the greatest to me is if we’re going to be successful, we have to go out and give complete commitment,” Regrutto said, and they did that. “I couldn’t be more proud as a coach. To see these guys go out and be successful is the best thing for a coach.”
But even more than that, they proved it to themselves, he said. “It was just hard work and desire.”
The Huskies play at Sisters on Thursday and Crook County on Saturday.