Bulldogs blank Hamilton in opener
A tight match turned into a romp as Whitefish opened its boys soccer season with a convincing 4-0 shutout over Hamilton on Friday.
The game played under a haze of thick smoke started as a physical mid-field battle for possession.
Taisuke Matsuo found the net for Whitefish’s lone goal in the first half.
After the break, the Dogs found the openings and peppered the Broncs’ keeper with close-range shots.
“We played to our strengths,” Whitefish coach John Lacey said. “We’ve got some skilled players and we started finding people in places where they can do the most damage, instead of settling for foot races.”
“All of the goals, for the most part, were easy to finish.”
Cody Brandt was assisted by senior Walter Sobba for the second goal, and Noah Romagnuolo put one in off an assist from Quinten Joos to make it 3-0.
Senior Casey Ling capped the scoring late in the match to seal the victory.
Whitefish keeper Marty Anderson kept a clean sheet by stopping a penalty kick in the first half.
“It was a strong save, too,” Lacey said. “Penalty kicks are a big test for a goalie.”
Defensively, Ben Hirsch and Sam Benkelman stepped up to help blank Hamilton.
While happy to open with a win, Lacey says the Dogs can play smarter from the opening whistle.
“We don’t have to spend the first half figuring things out,” he said. “We’ll also continue to emphasize the physical aspect of the game. Because we graduated so many seniors, a lot of our players are new to high school soccer and the speed and pace. We need to be able to step up physically.”
Whitefish hosts Libby on Thursday at 5 p.m., then travels to the defending state champions in Corvallis on Saturday.
Hamilton 0 0 — 0
Whitefish 1 3 — 4
Scoring times not available
Whitefish — Taisuke Matsuo (Xander Burger)
Whitefish — Cody Brandt (Walter Sobba)
Whitefish — Noah Romagnuolo (Quinten Joos)
Whitefish — Casey Ling (Matsuo)
Shots on goal — Hamilton 2, Whitefish 11; Goalie saves — Hamilton 7 (James Bess), Whitefish 2 (Marty Anderson); Corner kicks — Hamilton 2, Whitefish 2; Fouls — Hamilton 5, Whitefish 3; Cards — Whitefish, 1 yellow