Varsity Soccer |

GAME SUMMARY

The opening match of the 2017 campaign saw our Broncos travel to Evanston to face a quality opponent in the ETHS Wildkits. From the opening minute, the hosts made it clear they were ready to avenge their hard fought super-sectional playoff loss from last October. The Wildkits came out with tremendous energy and intensity. Loaded with athletic and skillful players, they were flying into tackles, winning lots of aerial duels and also a majority of the 50/50 tackles that presented themselves. They also showed much quality and intelligence once they had their foot on the ball.

Our Broncos did well to grow into the game though, weathering all of the aforementioned energy. With only two returning starters in the starting eleven, it made sense that our boys were a little caught by our opponents, who had many familiar faces on the pitch. The experience gained for all of our new players will definitely serve them well going forward. After the first twenty minutes had passed, we did show better, putting together a few excellent sequences and getting up to speed with the pace of the game.

Evanston outshot our Broncos 5-0 in the first half, although only two of those shots were within striking distance. One of the best chances for Evanston never came to be, as a 3v1 break out from their own end was smothered with a well timed and fully committed tackle by BHS center back Nathan Patterson. It was a tackle that motivates the entire team. So, despite being outplayed in the first 40 minutes, the score at halftime was knotted at 0-0 and we like we could still win this match after we rallied during the intermission.

In the opening moments of the second half though, Evanston grabbed a 1-0 lead on a terrific goal, denting some of that hope we had gained just minutes before. The goal came when the Wildkits left winger received a ball a few yards outside the left corner of the box and curled his shot just out of the reach Bronco goalkeeper Brett Sprengel. It was a top notch strike… and to his credit, Sprengel still almost snared it.

Michael Blanke, Gio Guarnero and Klaus Pallan wouldn’t keep their heads down though, and the trio made every effort to get us back level with the best chance coming when Guarnero sprung Blanke down the left side on a terrific delivery. Blanke carried the ball into the box and thundered a drive into the side netting of the near post.

With just a little more than twenty minutes left Evanston padded their lead with a second goal. Evanston whipped a cross into our six yard box, finding the foot of their striker, and offering no chance for Sprengel to deny the goal. Our boys tried to get us back into the match with a goal in the final twenty minutes, but Evanston was committed to the task and defended well.

We don’t like losing, at all… ever… but we will take some valuable lessons from tonight. We remain confident that we are headed in the right direction, and we look forward to our next game, where we can get our first win of the season.

Next up – Elk Grove, this Friday at Celtic Park at 4:30pm.

SCORING SUMMARY
EVANSTON –  43rd minute
EVANSTON –  62nd minute