BEMIDJI 鈥� The efforts of the Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 boys soccer team are starting to show up in the win column more consistently.
The Lumberjacks had their work cut out for them early in the 2023 season, matching up against formidable teams like St. Michael-Albertville and Duluth East. But as their schedule took a favorable turn, so has the flow on the field. And after Bemidji鈥檚 4-0 win over Brainerd on Saturday at Chet Anderson Stadium, the Jacks extended their unbeaten streak to seven games.
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鈥淪ome coaches will say there鈥檚 no such thing as a small victory 鈥� those wins where you actually lose, but you do the things you want to do and grow from it,鈥� Bemidji head coach Rick Toward said. 鈥淭here is only so much value in those types of efforts. 鈥� Now, they鈥檙e getting the reward of actually seeing (those efforts) show up as wins instead of losses.鈥�
Junior midfielder Lincoln Schmitt started the scoring in the 11th minute off a pass from Jeron Huseby. Reed Johnson fed the ball to Huseby before Schmitt broke the scoreless tie.
Schmitt is showing up in Bemidji鈥檚 scorebook more regularly, including two goals in his last three games.
鈥淗e鈥檚 come a long way as a player,鈥� Toward said. 鈥淭his year, he鈥檚 really taken his leadership to another level on the field. He has a presence on the field. On the goal that he scored, his position is right in front of Charlie (Zellmann on the backline). He鈥檚 40 yards forward from where he should鈥檝e been, naturally. Now, we鈥檙e not saying that he shouldn鈥檛 make that run. But that鈥檚 a gutsy run to make because his recovery is 40 yards back.鈥�
From there, it was the Isaac Stone show. He scored his first of three goals in the 23rd minute right in front of the goal mouth. He wasted little time finding his second, winning a foot race near the edge of the penalty area by chipping the ball over the sprinting Brainerd goalkeeper. Stone regathered the ball and slid it past a charging defender in the 24th minute.
鈥淎s a team, I feel like we moved the ball well,鈥� Stone said. 鈥淲e had high intensity, and I happened to be in the right spot at the right time a few times.鈥�
Stone completed his hat trick in the 49th minute with an assist from Austin Riewer.
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鈥淚saac is a special player. There鈥檚 no doubt about it,鈥� Toward said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to get his goals, and I鈥檝e kind of been encouraging him to get his teammates involved as well 鈥� the passing working with his teammates. Ultimately, the ball comes back to him and finds the back of the net most of the time.鈥�
Bemidji milked the rest of the clock to earn its seventh win this season. At 7-2-3 and a 4-1-1 mark in Section 8-3A, the Jacks are finding their mojo.
鈥淚 feel like we鈥檝e (found) our groove in the last few games,鈥� Stone said. 鈥淚 feel like everything is coming together pretty well. 鈥� We have momentum. We just have to trust our teammates and trust in what we know.鈥�
Toward hopes said momentum will lead to more sought-after wins.
鈥�(Those wins) have to come against opponents that you haven鈥檛 historically had success against,鈥� Toward said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the belief that they have that will translate into beating a (team like) St. Michael. They should feel like they can step up and do against them what they did against some of the other teams they鈥檝e beaten.
鈥淥ur goal after (playing) Duluth East was to win out. We haven鈥檛 lost. We had a few ties in there, and maybe we thought we gave one away against Denfeld. Against Moorhead, we can stomach a tie instead of a win. But going forward, our goal is to win out.鈥�
Bemidji 4, Brainerd 0
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BRD 0 0 鈥� 0
BEM 3 1 鈥� 4
Bemidji 鈥� Schmitt 11鈥� (Huesby); Stone 23鈥� (Riewer), 24鈥�, 49鈥� (Riewer).
Brianerd 鈥� No scoring.
Saves 鈥� Heuer (BEM) 4; Stengrim (BRD) 2.
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