BEMIDJI 鈥� A head coach often says they will take a win any way they can get it. For Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 boys soccer head coach Rick Toward, Thursday鈥檚 wins come with mixed feelings.
Typically, high school soccer teams can only pick up one win on a given day. The Lumberjacks lucked into a two-for-one after Tuesday鈥檚 4-0 loss against St. Michael-Albertville was reversed into a forfeit win. The Knights mistakenly used an ineligible player, giving Bemidji a Section 8-3A win.
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As of Thursday night, Toward was unaware of which player was ineligible. He received a message from BHS activities director Kristen McRae shortly after the Jacks鈥� 3-0 win over Buffalo at Bemidji Middle 歪歪漫画.
鈥淚t is now public knowledge that (St. Michael-Albertville) had to forfeit the game against Bemidji on Tuesday,鈥� said McRae in a forwarded message from Toward to the Pioneer. "They played an ineligible player.鈥�
Toward later said, 鈥淭echnically yes,鈥� when asked if the win counts as a section victory.
The news followed a fork-in-the-road win for the Lumberjacks on Thursday night. While they thought they were staring at a winless start against Section 8-3A teams, the Jacks elevated themselves into the win column, scoring twice off the foot of junior Isaac Stone. Sophomore Kellen Heuer recorded his first varsity clean sheet.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to use the phrase 鈥榤ust win鈥� this early in the season, but with three section opponents to start with and beginning the season 0-2, you don鈥檛 want to go 0-3,鈥� Toward said before the STMA news broke. 鈥淵ou want to start building momentum and make progress from our first game last Friday. There was progress. We were better today than we were on Tuesday. We were better on Tuesday than we were last Friday. As coaches, that鈥檚 the rewarding thing 鈥� seeing the growth and development."
Stone was on a roller coaster during a six-minute stretch early in the first half. He was given a yellow card in the ninth minute while away from the action. He was then awarded the first goal of the game off a corner kick from Reed Johnson before admitting Wyatt Anderson of Buffalo was the last to touch the ball.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to take credit for it, but it was an own goal,鈥� Stone said with a laugh.
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Noah Meyer earned the Jacks鈥� set-piece chance from the corner with a hustle play down the right side of the pitch. Johnson鈥檚 ball toward the goal deflected off Anderson for an own goal.
Stone left no doubt about who scored the second time. A minute after the first, he buried an unassisted effort, beating Bison goalkeeper Tyler Louwagie on a sprinting chance from about 15 yards out. He then made it 3-0 on a penalty kick in the 52nd minute.
鈥淲e were pressing them high on the second goal, and it ended up paying off,鈥� Stone said. 鈥淎ll glory to God. You just have to trust and focus on what you鈥檙e doing. I trust my instincts. I鈥檝e been here doing this a couple of times now.鈥�
Meyer鈥檚 presence was limited, as he鈥檚 battling a lingering hamstring injury. Junior Reed Johnson showcased his game-changing speed in a similar offensive role Meyer occupied in Bemidji鈥檚 home opener. With a healthy attack, Toward hopes to see the Lumberjacks form a three-headed monster with Stone, Johnson and Meyer.
鈥淚 was frustrated in our game on Tuesday that we didn鈥檛 find him as much as we should,鈥� Toward said of Johnson. 鈥淎 guy that talented, like Isaac, you want them to have the ball at their feet. We were trying to go down the middle of the field on Tuesday, and we were getting stuffed. If you put him out wide in a one-on-one situation 鈥� his pace, ball control, service 鈥� he鈥檚 going to be dangerous out there.鈥�
Heuer鈥檚 clean sheet is what he hopes is the first of many. He tallied eight saves while looking far more composed and confident than he did a week ago.
鈥淚 think it just means that I can do it,鈥� Heuer said about earning his first shutout. 鈥淚 just have to show up to play every game and show people (that) I can do it. It helps to have the (backline) too.鈥�
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Toward noted how much Heuer has exemplified his knowledge of the game. While most of the Jacks played together over the summer on the U19 team, Heuer played with the U16 kids. The game slows down a little more each time he takes the pitch at the varsity level,.
鈥淚t helps that I played with a couple of these people the year before,鈥� Heuer said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 as hard (to fit into) the team. But the pace of play, the ball moved a lot faster. It really helps when we practice because the guys in front (of me) are good. It helps when we bring that intensity to practice so the transition to the game isn鈥檛 that hard.鈥�
Bemidji 3, Buffalo 0
BUF 0 0 鈥� 0
BEM 2 1 鈥� 3
Bemidji 鈥� Anderson (BUF, OG) 14鈥�; Stone 15鈥�, 52鈥� (PK).
Buffalo 鈥� No scoring.
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Saves 鈥� Heuer (BHS) 8; Louwagie (BUF) 7.
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