One of the constant self-critiques Kevin Schultz has had through four non-league games has been his W.F. West High School girls soccer team unable to capitalize on numerous scoring chances.
Against Kelso, Woodland, Elma and Evergreen (Vancouver), the Bearcats felt they dominated possession and chances. Still, the scoreboard didn’t light up. They scored two goals three times and three goals once.
“We definitely are goal-hungry and have good shooters on our team,” senior midfielder Wyatt Rogerson said.
In front of a packed Bearcat stadium, W.F. West proceeded to give its home crowd a home opener to remember.
Rogerson and Reese Mishler each scored twice and the Bearcats tallied their season-best in goals, leading to a 6-1 victory over Rochester on Tuesday night. Four of the goals came in the second half in a 10-minute stretch.
Rogerson scored in the 54th minute, Mishler added her tallies in the 55th and 61st minute, then Izzy Teeter capped the night with a left-footed shot from well past the 18-yard box that sailed over Warriors keeper Izzy Crawford’s head in the 64th minute.
Lauren Kelley, Ashlen Gruginski and Taylor Tobin all notched assists in the final 40 minutes.
“Super excited to have all those students out there, but the energy at home helps,” Schultz said. “This was something that had been coming. Kind of felt like it was only a matter of time.”
It’s been six days since W.F. West (4-0-1) last played, meaning the 2-2 draw versus the Plainsmen was the last memory of a competitive game. It jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead only to let the foot off the gas.
In the exact same situation, the Bearcats responded against their former league foe.
“The message at halftime was learn from last Wednesday and I feel like we did that," Schultz said.
Rogerson stated she feels this group is more close knit than previous groups. The nine-member senior class all played rec league soccer growing up and have carried their chemistry to the prep level.
“I really feel like this team feels like a family,” Rogerson said. “That’s a great feeling when you get to go out there and you’re friends with everyone. This is going to be one of our best years.”
Gruginski broke the ice right away in the fourth minute and Rogerson followed in the 13th minute. At one point, the midfielder looked as if she’d fire a through ball to Gruginski, but opted for a shot from the 18-yard box to double the margin.
“I was kind of looking for her because I love Ashlen and I love passing to her,” Rogerson said. “After I took a cut and saw the girls lean into my move, I just took my opportunity to shoot.”
Crawford and the Warriors defense kept the margin at 2-0 for the final 27 minutes of the first half. The freshman had six of her eight saves in the first 40 minutes.
Sophomore Vera Hawes put Rochester on the board in the 73rd minute on a scrum in front of the W.F. West goal.
“I think we got some positives to pull out of it,” Rochester head coach Matt Ashton said. “Midfield this year has been our weak link. It is just a matter of getting the right group of kids in there.”
League play opens up for the Warriors and Bearcats on Thursday. Rochester will travel to Elma while W.F. West treks to Black Hills in a battle of unbeatens.
Both coaches expect to have difficult matches night in and night out.
“I really think second, third and fourth are up for grabs and I think we can compete for second place,” Ashton said. “It is just the belief in the girls that they can do it.”
“Every night in our league is gonna be a fight, it is going to be tough,” Schultz added.
