Regular season concludes, Wolverines prep for district playoffs

Weiser’s Wolverines varsity soccer team tied 0-0 with conference opponent Fruitland last Tuesday, Sept. 26, and took a narrow 2-1 loss to non-conference Nyssa Bulldogs on Thursday.

 In Tuesday’s draw at Fruitland, Weiser goaltender Shayd Crossley put up 12 saves against the determined Grizzlies offense. The Weiser High School sophomore has been a stalwart stand in for junior Diego Delgadillo the previous two and a-half weeks while he sufficiently recovered from a concussion.

 Thursday’s game included a Senior Night ceremony, honoring six Wolverine players and their two stats keepers prior to the game’s start, including Toren Walker, Jared Hernandez, Edgar Lazaro, Edgar Hernandez, Gonzalo Perez, Kian Hartley, Edith Delgadillo, and Jasmine Juarez

 Weiser mounted an effective attack, with Gonzo Perez (18) taking a pass from Toren Walker (3) right in front of the goal, sending it under Nyssa’s goalie’s reach and into the left side of the net.

 A well-fought defensive matchup, Nyssa scored twice in the first half, the first on a penalty kick, and the second one later in the half from in front of the goal, but only after a series of kicks and deflections off of Weiser defenders.

 Crossley recorded three saves in the first half, and Delgadillo was back in his spot in the second, putting up five saves.

 Weiser’s offense  put in a big effort in both halves, taking a total of six shots on goal.

 Head coach Kathy Bokides complimented the team on an “excellent game.”

 “You played hard. Your opportunities were there, that’s all I can say,” she said. “Hard fought game, it was good defense. It was a good game.”

 Bokides told the Signal American, “They did do a great job, and it was just fun to watch. Time just goes too fast.

 “Tuesday’s game in Fruitland was a really good game, too,” she said. “It was their senior night. They have 12 seniors, and these guys played really well against them, too. I don’t know if we had the scoring opportunities there like we had tonight. And, we have the whole team back and healthy.”

 After this week’s game here against McCall-Donnelly last night (Tuesday, Oct. 3), the team will turn its focus to prepping for next week’s District 3 3A tournament. The Signal American will post the brackets as soon as they are made available.