By: Todd Pridemore
The Eagles boys’ soccer team kicked off the season Friday evening on the road. SBC made the long drive north to face the Kirksville Tigers, a district foe that finished last season with three wins and 16 losses. However, the Tigers’ roster boasts 12 seniors this year, and several of their players were large, physical, and skilled. Play began with the Eagles controlling possession for the opening minutes, and it didn’t take long for them to claim the lead. In the eighth minute, senior Reece Baker made an aggressive play from his center-back position to steal the ball at midfield and push it toward the left corner. Baker lofted a perfectly placed shot that flew above the Kirksville goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net. Play was relatively even for the next 20 minutes, although the physicality of the game intensified and multiple fouls were committed – and some were called – by both teams. The Tigers evened the score with 11 minutes remaining in the first half, when several of their players linked up passes that created a point-blank shot in the box that Eagles keeper Aidan Bukowsky had little chance of saving. However, SBC reclaimed the lead less than two minutes later. Senior captain Mason Ahern outran both a defender and the charging goalkeeper to the ball near the top of the 18-yard box, and his one-touch shot rolled into the net. The half ended with the Eagles holding on to a 2-1 lead.
See more in this weeks Boone County Journal
Facebook Comments