HOCKINSON — The Ridgefield boys soccer program lives by the credo “serious fun.”
Some practices are meant to just be fun. Others, such as the ones leading up to Friday night’s 2A Greater St. Helens League opener, are short and to the point – strictly business.
It’s a mantra that has helped the Spudders maintain a 10-year streak of making the state tournament. And it will be again relied upon this year, as the Spudders try to take its most inexperienced team in head coach Brian Newman’s nine years with the program back to state.
On a persistently rainy Friday night at Hockinson High School’s slippery mud bowl of a field, the Spudders took care of business in a 2-1 win over Hockinson (0-6).
Year after year, the Spudders (3-2) rely on upperclassmen to set the standard for the program. Each year a new set of standard-bearers must step up. It’s a contingency plan that has worked for the last 10 years and counting. With a roster that does not have much experience playing together, they’re relying on leadership heavily this season.
“That’s what our team is founded on,” center defender Jonathan Flury said. “Every incoming class learns it from the class before them.”
Newman knows this year’s squad has the talent, despite losing four all-league selections from last year’s team. But much of the team, unlike past years, has not been playing together since youth soccer like teams in past years.
That means the Spudders will rely on its seniors to lead.
It also means the Spudders expect the midfielders and forwards to step up, quickly.
And hopefully, Newman said, they can build team chemistry in the process.
“Skill-wise we have all the talent in the world,” Newman said. “We just need to gel.”
Flury sees lots the Spudders need to work on. He also notices his teammates stepping up. He named senior forwards Joey Vossenkuhl, assisted on the first goal on Friday, and Alex Trevino as examples of players who have stepped up.
“Even if they’re not captains, everyone is doing their part to lead. With such a young team, everyone that’s played before is doing a lot to step up,” Flury, a returning first-team all-league selection, said.
The Spudders took control of the game early.
Steven Cunningham received a cross in the box from senior forward Joey Vossenkuhl and scored in the opening minutes of the game. Then with four minutes left in the half, defender Ethan Wirchak scored a driving ball from well outside the 18-yard box to give the Spudders a 2-0 lead at the break.
Newman, attesting that he “hates” the 2-0 halftime lead, saw his Spudders get comfortable to open the second half.
And if there was any indication that Hockinson was going to fold, the Hawks put it to rest in the opening minutes.
Junior Nick Charles sent a booming shot from well outside the 18-yard box past Ridgefield keeper Joe Lindbo to bring the Hawks within one.
The teams duked it out with long skipping through-balls for a scoreless 38 ensuing minutes as the Spudders held on. Trevino left the field with what appeared to be a serious injury late in the game.
“There are great teams in our league this year,” Newman said. “It’s going to be a lot of work to come back. And I put htat pressure on them from the very beginning … I like the idea of continuing going to state.”
