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Chisago Lakes 2

Concordia Academy 1

It seems that every time the Chisago Lakes boys soccer team steps onto the field, head coach Mark Leigh is reminded of how far the program has come.

For example, last season the Wildcats used a late goal to defeat Concordia Academy 2-1.  Two years ago, the 'Cats lost to the same team. On August 31, Chisago Lakes not only won, but they destroyed the Beacons, defeating them 6-1 behind two goals each from Blane Maher and Chris Golv.  Now that's a turn-around.

“It's not even the same team,” remarked Leigh.  “Two years ago we lost to them, last year we won on a late goal and now this season, we stomped them.  It goes to show how far we have come that's for sure.”

Despite struggling to score through their first few games of the season, versus Concordia, the 'Cats were hitting on all cylinders, leading to their first win of the season. Maher and Brady Huber each struck for goals in the first, leading to a 2-1 Chisago lead after one. 

In the second half, after being encouraged to play with even more intensity by their coach, the Wildcats responded and then some.  Chisago opened up the second half with two goals in the first 20 minutes.  When it was all said and done, Maher had his second goal of the game, Golv had two (both coming in the second half), and Huber and Ross Jones each had one goal.  In addition, Andy Olness finished the game with two assists while Huber, Golv and Andy Hendricks each added one.

The win improved the 'Cats record to 1-2 on the season with St. Croix Lutheran on the way.

Chisago Lakes 3

St. Croix Lutheran 0

Momentum doesn't even describe what the 'Cats played with against the Crusaders.  It was much more powerful than just that.  On the heels of a dominating win over Concordia Academy, the Wildcats made it two in a row on September 2, defeating St. Croix Lutheran 3-0.

This time defense was the name of the game as sophomore goalkeeper Joe Knafla pitched a shutout.  The only help he needed came in the first off the foot of Adam Sill.  The play began with an Andy Olness throw-in. Blane Maher then headed the ball over to Sill who stuffed it into the net, giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead at the break.

Far from finished, Maher stuffed in two more goals, both coming in the second half.  He and sophomore Chris Golv both found the back of the net in the second, helping the 'Cats build a 3-0 lead.  With Knafla in the nets and his defense working in front of him, that was more than enough.

“We passed crisply and dominated possession and field position,” said Leigh.  “The team just worked crisp and sharp.”

So sharp that the score could've been worse considering that four of the Wildcats shots clanked off the post, including a late shot by Huber that caught iron.  It was about the only thing that went wrong the entire game.

The win moved the Wildcats record to 2-2 on the season after starting the year 0-2.

Mahtomedi 2

Chisago Lakes 0

Things went from hard to very difficult last Tuesday for the Wildcats. On the heels of a two game winning streak, the ‘Cats welcomed power Mahtomedi to town, arguably their toughest opponent of the season to that point. Chisago knew that making it three wins in a row would be tough.

They were right. Despite playing well, the Zephyrs scored their first goal with less than five minutes left in the first half, then added their second in the second half. Meanwhile, the ‘Cats were shutout on offense, leading to a 2-0 loss. Sometimes playing well isn’t enough.

“I was pretty pleased with how we played. We played with them, we gave them a game. It would’ve been nice to get a goal but what do you do,” remarked Mark Leigh, Chisago Lakes head boys soccer coach. “Offensively, we put a lot of pressure on them. We had some corner kicks and free kicks. A bounce here and there and I think the outcome could’ve been different.”

Chisago Lakes 5

Amery (Wisc) 2

After playing one of the toughest teams in their section on Tuesday, last Thursday, the situation was reversed against Amery, Wisconsin. To be honest, the Warriors were out-matched right from the start.

The ‘Cats wasted little time taking control of the game. Chris Golv, Blane Maher and Andy Olness each scored goals in the first 20 minutes of the match, giving the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. Amery eventually got on the board as time expired in the first, trimming the Chisago lead to 3-1, but by that time, the damage was done.

Maher, with one goal under his belt already, provided the finishing touches in the second half, scoring two more goals to complete the hat-trick. The flurry pushed the Wildcats to a 5-2 win, their third victory of the season.

“It wasn’t even a game, we’re just in a different league. It’s tough though because when you play a team like that, sometimes you overplay them. You do too much,” said Leigh. “They’re not a bad team to play, but they just aren’t much of a game for us which is weird to say because two years ago, we tied them 1-1. It just goes to show you how far this program has come.”

Maher finished the game with three goals and one assist. Golv and Olness each added one goal and one assist.

Simley 2

Chisago Lakes 1

The Wildcats jumped right back into the fire last Saturday, finishing the week with Simley at home. In a game that resembled more of a football game than a soccer match, Simley scored the final two goals of the game to sneak out a 2-1 hard-fought win.

Maher got the Wildcats started less than 10 minutes into the game, scoring on an assist from Olness. The score remained 1-0 until late in the first when Simley answered back by rattling off two goals, including one on a penalty shot. The two goal flurry was enough, giving them the 2-1 win.

“It was a battle. The play was really tough and physical by both teams. They (Simley) play like that,” remarked Leigh. “I was happy because we played with them and it showed the guys we can beat them. That’s one of the better teams we have in the section and we can beat them. We’ve got a lot of section teams on our schedule and they are very strong teams. I’m hoping to pick up some wins, to get over the hump. So far against the section teams we’ve played, we’ve been close but we just need to get over that hump.”

Section opponents like North Branch and Mounds Park, who are coming up next for the Wildcats. Chisago Lakes will face North Branch first. That match takes place Thursday night in Lindstrom.

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