Boys soccer stays perfect with win at Libby
Whitefish stayed undefeated in Western A play, downing Libby 8-1 on Saturday, September 23, on the Loggers' homefield. The Bulldogs' Kyler Johnson notched three goals in the second half, and Whitefish improved to 5-0 in conference play.
"After playing so many games in a row two weeks ago, we needed to recover," Whitefish Head Coach John Lacey said. "In the days leading up to this game, we wanted to get out there and shake off all the rust off and build up a rhythm. The boys did that, but it took a little while longer than we wanted."
Whitefish got on the board first as Preston McPherson scored on an Elijah Adams-Griffin pass in the sixth minute. Libby would find an equalizer in the 17th minute, but Adams-Griffin gave Whitefish the lead again in the 25th minute off a Adam Healy assist.
"We just started slow," Lacey said. "We looked like a team that, well, hadn't played a game in a week, and it's a little hard to flip a switch. They got a goal on us, and that definitely shook a few kids awake, and we started to play a little bit better and work collectively on what we wanted to do."
The second half saw the floodgates open as Griffin Gunlikson scored in the 44th minute, with Jackson Dorvall notching the assist. Jonson scored eight minutes later, with an assist by Ryder Elliott. Jonson then scored unassisted in the 57th minute to 5-1.
Collin Luman scored for Whitefish in the 59th minute on a Kane Nissen assist, and then Elliot picked up a score in the 62nd minute from a Nissen pass.
Jonson wrapped up Whitefish's scoring with a goal in the 69th minute.
The Bulldogs finished with 16 shots and nine corner kicks. Libby was limited to three shots and did not have a corner-kick opportunity.
"It was an opportunity to keep bodies fresh and to use a lot of guys," Lacey said. "It's always good at this stage of the year to do that and keep the momentum going."
Whitefish will play at Bigfork on Thursday, September 28, at 5 p.m. and then hosts Corvallis on Saturday, September 30.
"We go down to Bigfork for their homecoming in their stadium, and it should be a fun environment," Lacey said. "The game against Corvallis on Saturday is a quick turnaround, so we need to emphasize using a lot of bodies to stay healthy. We want to make sure everybody is sharp and fresh."
At Libby
WHITEFISH 8, LIBBY 1
Whitefish - 2 - 6 - 8
Libby - 1 - 0 - 1
SCORING SUMMARY
WF — Preston McPherson (Elijah Adams-Griffin) 6:00
L — Dylan Warner 17:00
WF — Adams-Griffin (Adam Healy) 25:00
WF — Griffin Gunlikson (Jackson Dorvall) 44:00
WF — Kyler Jonson (Ryder Elliott) 52:00
WF — Jonson 57:00
WF — Collin Lyman (Kane Nissen) 59:00
WF — Elliott (Nissen) 62:00
WF — Jonson 69:00