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Tenino recovered defensively from allowing six-first half goals but couldn’t find the back of the net in a 7-0 opening-season road loss to Elma on Wednesday night.
“First and foremost, after almost two years, we were excited to be back on the field competing,” Tenino coach Kevin Schultz said. “Last season hurt.”
The Beavers, playing in their first game of the season after only practicing together as an entire team twice, grew as the game went on, shoring up their defense and only allowing an own-goal in the second half.
“Big step forward from the first half to the second half,” Schultz said.
Sophomore keeper Alex Reichelderfer, playing in his first high school varsity match, made eight saves on the night, including all four of Elma’s shots on target in the second half.
“He controlled the game and communicated well with the back line,” Schultz said.
Max Craig, who played in a football game on Friday, had the Beavers’ lone shot on goal. Fellow football teammate Takari Hickle, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive end, started in the middle in his first varsity game. During halftime, Hickle asked Schultz what he could improve on in the second half. The adjustments worked.
“The goal differential from the first to second half had to do with him,” Schultz said. “He’s definitely an imposing force on the field.”
The Beavers are back in action at 6 p.m. Friday when they host Forks.
“I couldn’t fault the effort,” Schultz said. “We didn’t quit. That’s going to be huge for us.”
