BEMIDJI 鈥� As injuries begin to pile up, the Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 boys soccer team is forced to elevate the roles of its reserve players.
Senior Dash Hiller and junior Austin Riewer were sidelined with injuries before Saturday鈥檚 contest against Hill-Murray at Bemidji Middle 歪歪漫画. Senior Brady Riley also went down in the first half with a knee injury.
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It paved the way for players like Ozzie Hanks, Ashtin Wright and Hunter Olson to play extended minutes.
One player in particular made a big impact. Sam Byrne, a senior exchange student from the Netherlands, scored in the 45th minute of Bemidji鈥檚 2-0 win over the Pioneers.
鈥淚t felt great,鈥� Byrne said. 鈥淚 feel like there鈥檚 more to come, too.鈥�
Byrne filled Riewer鈥檚 shoes as a forward to help BHS score a home victory over the defending Class AA state champions.
鈥淗e鈥檚 very intelligent about the game,鈥� head coach Rick Toward said. 鈥淏eing a European kid, he鈥檚 been around the game his whole life. What he lacks in connectivity to the team 鈥� fitting into a new system and a new group 鈥� he鈥檚 more than made up for it in his coaching on the field. You hear it when he鈥檚 out there. He mimics what Jeff (Mitchell) and I want.鈥�
Byrne is picking up the American style of soccer as he goes along.
鈥淲hen I came here, I realized this is a more physical game in America,鈥� Byrne said. 鈥淚n Europe, it鈥檚 more tactical, so I try to bring my tactical side to the heart of this team. They鈥檝e done great with it. I鈥檝e learned the game a little more as I鈥檝e been here. It took some adjustments, but I love it.鈥�
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Byrne鈥檚 contributions helped the Jacks (3-2-1) secure their first win over the Pioneers (1-7-1) in program history.
Hill-Murray, a revered soccer power in Minnesota, won the Class AA state championship last fall and finished as the runner-up in 2022. However, it brought a different-looking team to Bemidji Middle 歪歪漫画 on Saturday after graduating 19 seniors from its 2023 roster.
鈥淲hen we set up the home-and-home with them, I told their coach we were going to be pretty heavy this year, and then we鈥檙e going to graduate,鈥� Toward said. 鈥淗e said, 鈥榃ell, we鈥檙e going to be kind of down this year.鈥� That鈥檚 not the same Hill-Murray team we鈥檝e seen in the past but they鈥檝e got some good players who got some really good opportunities.鈥�
Isaac Stone nearly broke the scoreless tie in the 10th minute. He received a cross from Lincoln Schmitt just outside of the 18-yard box, then corralled the ball before his shot was blocked by a Pioneers defender near the goal mouth.
Stone had another chance again in the 30th minute. He slipped through the Pioneers鈥� midfield and made a run down the left side of the field. His on-target shot was turned aside by keeper Sam Napol, who punched a rebound out to Hanks. The BHS freshman took a second shot but missed wide.
The third time was the charm for Stone. In the 33rd minute, he received a cross from Levi Renn and finished over Napol鈥檚 shoulder from a close angle.
Stone鈥檚 strike didn鈥檛 come without controversy. Hill-Murray was afforded a free kick after a low-danger scoring chance for the Lumberjacks. The Pioneers quickly took the free kick but possession changed in the midfield, leading to the BHS goal.
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Hill-Murray head coach John Zupfer protested the goal, arguing a Bemidji player was offside and Stone played the ball with his arm instead of his chest. Zupfer was ejected from the contest before play resumed.
At halftime, both Toward and Hill-Murray assistant head coach Chris Zupfer received yellow cards. Zupfer continued the Pioneers鈥� protest of the first-half goal. The official ran roughly 70 yards to Bemdiji鈥檚 halftime scrum behind the BHS goal to book Toward because one of his players wearing a necklace during the game.
After Byrne made it 2-0 in the 45th minute, the Lumberjacks leaned on their replacements to close out the win.
鈥淗unter had a great game in the position we asked him to play, so I鈥檓 very happy with him,鈥� Toward said. 鈥淥zzie ate a ton of minutes in the midfield. Bringing Asthin over from JV, he was really solid, especially in his first shift. 鈥� He almost had a chance on the ball Isaac played to him.鈥�
Toward knew he had quality players rostered on the junior varsity team, players who would assume more varsity minutes if the Lumberjacks weren鈥檛 a senior-laden group.
鈥淚f a player comes up to varsity early, he maybe only gets five or 10 minutes a game compared to the 75 minutes he鈥檒l play on JV,鈥� Toward continued. 鈥淚n a year when Isaac鈥檚 gone, Sam鈥檚 gone, Reed鈥檚 gone, Brady鈥檚 gone 鈥� that鈥檚 a starter right there. They need to get as much time as they can (on JV) for development.鈥�
Players like Byrne see a shorthanded lineup as a challenge.
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鈥淎 great team doesn鈥檛 have individual players,鈥� Byrne added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a team on its own. Today was a challenge to see if we鈥檙e the team we think we are, and we were. It doesn鈥檛 matter what players we have, we can always win. We proved that to ourselves today.鈥�
Bemidji 2, Hill Murray 0
HM 0 0 鈥� 0
BHS 1 1 鈥� 2
Bemidji 鈥� Stone 鈥�33 (Renn); Byrne 鈥�45 (Stone);
Hill-Murray 鈥� No scoring.
Saves 鈥� Heuer (BHS) 5; Napol (HM) 7.
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