The night started out to be a perfect night for soccer.  The weather was perfect, warm, mild, and sunny.  As the evening went on the winds were coming up and the temperature was dropping.  However the weather did not spoil the home/season opener as we welcomed Hawkeye 10 rival to town, the Trojans from Atlantic.  We have always opened our season against Mt Michael from Elkhorn NE in the past, tonight we had a chance to open with someone new and work on starting the season off right.  We are young and still looking for the right player in the right position.  Tonight gave us a chance to play some people in different positions to try some things out and to see who is working best and where.   We started out the game certainly showing that it is our first game, we look tense, confused, and looking for something to grab on to.  We are not talking and playing way too many long balls.  Ten minutes into the game Nolan Gillespie lays the perfect crossing ball right past the front of the goal and Miguel Ramos is there to head the ball in.  It was exactly the way we draw it up, the fun part is always the attempt to execute it correctly, tonight they did.  Then just  1minute 30 seconds later the ball is placed back into the middle in front of the net.  Several missed attempts to clear the ball and being in the right place at the right time is Roberto Gaytan.  He is there and ready for a lose ball that lands in front of him and he puts away to go up 2-0.  Then with a little over 7 minutes left in the first half we have a defensive breakdown and Atlantic is right there is put in the goal and cut the lead in half before the break.  We have a little heart to heart talk at the half and ask them to work on the communication and possession and they will come away on top in this one.   The second half turns out to be a defensive battle until finally at the midway point Zachery Shea puts the ball into the back of the net after a nice touch back from Roberto Gaytan, this gives us a 3-1 lead and felling a little better about the out come.  With just under 2 minutes left Atlantic is called for the foul and we set up a set play.  Miguel Ramos takes the set play shot and the ball goes out of play.  Cody Hicks quickly gets the ball and while everyone is looking around plays the ball into Roberto Gaytan, Roberto finishes the play and put the ball away to go up 4-1 and seals the victory for the night.  Roberto had a great game and finished the night with 2 goals and 1 assist.  We start off the season on the plus side and it feels good to walk away a winner.  We want to call out the great play tonight of Miguel Ramos as he was everywhere on the field and played with a lot of heart.  This style of play and effort earned Miguel game captain for the Mt Michael game.  The other player that deserves recognition tonight is Shawn Underwood.  Shawn stepped up tonight with his first varsity start and never looked back, outstanding defensive effort tonight by Shawn.  Thursday night will be a completely different style of ball game as Mt Michael comes to town.  Mt Michael will attack the ball and not stand back allowing us to complete a pass of any kind.  Join us Thursday for the JV match at 4:30 followed by the Varsity and roughly 6pm. 

JV too had a great match tonight and played to a 4-0 shutout.  Trevor Stephens who never touched the ball in the first help logged the first shut out of the season and Michael Kleindienst logged the save.  We saw some outstanding play and complete effort tonight in the JV match by Alex Hillers.  Alex played a very aggressive first half and had several opportunities tonight where he played the perfect passing ball in the front of the and we just missed the opportunity to finish.  The first goal came by Troy Mahood and Atlantic was called for a hand ball in the box and Troy stepped up to take the PK and put the ball in the back of the net.  1-0.  Shawn Underwood also played very well tonight in the first half and was awarded with the second goal of the game just 8 minutes later and got the assist on the play from Joshua Whitmore.  With 3 minutes left in the first half Shawn Underwood sets up Jacob Charleson and he scores to put us up 3-0 before the half.  We pull a number of varsity players at the half and ask the remaining players to hold on, play together, talk and they will win this game.  17 minutes into the second half DJ Doebelin takes the hit on goal that is heading in and Jacob Charleson is there with the header to insure the placement to the back of the net.  They stepped up and managed to hold on to lock in the shut out and walk off a true winner.  JV too will be tested Thursday night against Mt Michael, please plan to join us at 4:30 at home.