Elmira 2, Sweet Home 0
Sweet Home put up great numbers in just about every stat except the scoreboard at Elmira, losing 2-0 in boys soccer on Oct. 21.
“Missed opportunities,” said Coach Eric Stutzer. That was the problem.
“The interesting thing is we had a mental lapse,” he said, and in the first 10 minutes the Huskies were behind two goals.
Afterward, the Huskies racked up wins in every statistical category except scoring, kicking more coerners, more shots, more direct kicks and more one-on-one fast breaks with fewer fouls than the Falcons, Stutzer said. The Huskies bounced four shots off the crossbar, he said. “It was all a matter of missed opportunities in a game we probably should’ve won.”
Nic Dishaw had six saves before leaving the game injured, Stutzer said.
“I was proud of the way they played,” he said. “They could’ve given up after those first two goals.”
The junior varsity had better luck, winning 4-3.
On Thursday, Junction City beat the Huskies 6-2 in Sweet Home.
“I think we have been able to compete with them,” Stutzer said, but the Huskies opened their last game of the season shorthanded, with Ty Schilling gone for the day. Five minutes in, Patric Dishaw came out sick, gutting the midfield.
Fortunately, the Huskies had two solid JV players who could step into those positions, Stutzer said, and things looked all right.
“We scored the first goal 10 minutes into the game,” Stutzer said. Egan Shamek scored on a fast break facing the Junction City goalie one-on-one.
The Huskies played solid soccer for 22 minutes, Stutzer said, then Junction City scored. The Huskies seemed to get their heads down, and Junction City followed with two more goals before halftime.
“They still felt like they could win,” Stutzer said, and they came back out playing well but had more of those missed opportunities.
Things turned south again as Nic Dishaw left the goalie position with a dislocated shoulder, Stutzer said. He pulled Matt Davis into the box, and the defense lost its speed, allowing Junction City a window to score three more times.
The game ends the Huskies’ soccer season with a 1-9 league record and a 2-12 overall record.
The Huskies probably had their best statistical season in the past decade, Stutzer said, and if they’d connected a few missed opportunities, they’d likely have won four or five games.
“There was not a team we could not compete against,” Stutzer said. The season leaves the Huskies with a lot of potential next year, he said, and he believes they’ll be mentally prepared. The team graduates all but three seniors next year.