Weiser blanks Ambrose, Payette at home

by Nancy Grindstaff
Weiser 2, Ambrose 0
 Two goals in the second half at Weiser’s home field gave the Wolverines varsity boys soccer team a 2-0 win over Meridian’s Ambrose School Archers on Tuesday, Sept. 28.
 After the Wolverines handed the Archers an 8-1 loss in the second half in Meridian two weeks earlier, the visitors came to town ready to challenge every aspect of Weiser’s intense passing game.
 Wolverine goalkeeper Justin Padilla earned MaxPreps Weiser’s Player of the Game on Tuesday, making eight saves over the two halves.
 In a dynamic save early in the second half, Padilla batted down a direct penalty kick by the Archers, then dove on the ball to stop a prime scoring opportunity for Ambrose.
 After taking nine shot attempts in the first half, ending the 40 minutes 0-0, the Wolverines carried on their offensive drive.
 At 47 minutes, Weiser’s forward Brian Munoz sent the ball to halfback Alfonso Hernandez who was waiting on the left side of the goal box. Hernandez put his foot on the ball, curving it in front, and around, an Archer defender, with it slipping past Ambrose goalie Ethan Kneadler’s fingertips into the right corner of the net.
 Winning a corner kick 11 minutes later, Weiser senior halfback Marcos Tarelo caught the mid-air shot just right off the kick from Edgar Torres, heading the ball down into the back of the goal, giving the Wolverines the 2-0 lead.
 Weiser extended offensive attack, sending a total of 14 shot attempts in the half, but without making any additional gain before time ran out, the game ending 2-0 Wolverines.
Weiser 4, Payette 0
 Three Wolverine seniors scored four goals in the second half of a match against Payette at home on Senior Night, Thursday, Sept. 30.
 Conference opponents have improved in second matches during regular season contests, and the Pirates were no exception.
 Both teams played gritty defense in the first half, breaking up fast runs going both ways. Weiser got off 7 shots, 5 going wide and 2 stopped outside the goal box by Payette keeper Oscar Hernandez. One penalty kick and another shot attempt by the Pirates were kiboshed by Weiser goalie Justin Padilla, ending the half 0-0.
 A yellow card on Payette’s Hernandez took him out of the goal for a couple plays, with Ethan Sloggett taking over for him. Sloggett did stop the Weiser penalty kick, but Weiser immediately took possession of the ball, and a pass from Ben Johnson to Alfonso Hernandez delivered the ball past Sloggett for the Wolverines first goal.
 Five minutes later, with Pirates’ Hernandez back at goal, Edgar Torres made another fast run on the left side of the field, sending the ball over to Johnson at the left side of the goal. Johnson directed the ball to the right back corner of the net, Weiser extended its lead to 2-0.
 Moving toward the goal at 67 minutes, passing quickly between Alex Magana and Hernandez, Magana shifted the ball over to Torres. Torres booted the ball forward, underneath the grab attempt by Payette’s Hernandez, securing Weiser’s 3-0 lead.
 With time running out, passes between Torres and Danny Clemmer moved the ball back to Johnson. Hernandez fell during a stop attempt on the right side of the goal, leaving the opening for Johnson to move the ball to the center, getting off the shot for Weiser’s final score and 4-0 conference win.
 The Wolverines wrap up regular season play in Fruitland on Thursday, Oct. 7, with District 3A championships starting Saturday, Oct. 9.