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Chisago Lakes 4

North Branch 1

Maybe the Wildcats should play in the cold more often. Concerned with his offensive production from time to time this season, Mark Leigh, Chisago Lakes head boys soccer coach, saw his offense come alive versus North Branch last Friday, scoring four goals en route to a 4-1 win.

The ‘Cats got going right away. Fighting a brisk wind and a dropping thermometer, Andy Olness and Chris Golv provided some warmth in the first half for Chisago, both scoring goals. The goals put Chisago in front 2-0 at the half.

Still, Leigh will be the first one to admit that despite the lead, something was missing in the Wildcats play, and he let them know it at halftime.

“For some reason we weren’t playing real crisp. The kids had a hard time getting fired up and I brought that to their attention at halftime,” said Leigh.

They listened. The Wildcats opened the second half with two goals in the first 10 minutes. Finding the back of the net for the second time in the game was Olness while Blane Maher added his first goal. The flurry increased the Chisago lead to 4-0.

As for North Branch, the Vikings got on the board late in the second half on a David Stark penalty kick. The game played even the rest of the way.

“The guys made some plays and came on strong in the second half,” said Brad Gustafson, North Branch head boys soccer coach. “They were disappointed with the result but are looking forward to our next game.”

“They worked hard and had some opportunities. I would’ve definitely liked us to be a little crisper but we got the win,” replied Leigh. “You really need to give Brad a lot of credit for the job he is doing up there. He’s working hard and so are the kids.”

Up next, both North Branch and Chisago head into the last week of the regular season with sections right around the corner. The Vikings finish their schedule with St. Croix Lutheran and Monticello, both at home. Those games are scheduled to take place Thursday and Monday.

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