BEMIDJI -- The opening goal and stellar defense had the Bemidji High School boys soccer team in the lead for much of the contest, but ultimately the Duluth East attack was too much to handle and the Greyhounds claimed a 2-1 come-from-behind victory Thursday at Chet Anderson Stadium.
“We frustrated them for a long time,” said BHS head coach Rick Toward. “We had some great plays by our goalkeeper and back line.”
Freshman and team point leader Isaac Stone added to his highlight reel with a snipe to the corner of the net from 20 yards out with about five minutes left in the first half for a 1-0 Bemidji (0-4) lead.
“Basically the goalie couldn’t react quick enough because Isaac has his back to the goal and hits a quick little turn-and-shot, and by the time it got past the defender, the goalie had that much less time to react,” Toward said. “So it was a class goal. It’s stuff that you see from much more experienced or older players than a freshman.”
Senior Noah Johnson assisted on the tally.
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The goal accounted for one of three shots Bemidji put on the Duluth East net for the game, as the Greyhounds (4-1-1) came out of the locker room with a vengeance.
“We knew what the halftime was going to bring,” Toward said. “They were going to come out storming and flying, and they did.”
Despite great play from the Bemidji back-liners, made up of seniors Wil King and Casey Hiller and juniors Will Greendahl and Tommy DeGeus, East broke through and tied the game with a goal from Jackson DesCombaz in the 54th minute.
“I thought Will Greendahl had a great game,” Toward said. “He was my defensive center-midfielder. He played very, very well all 80 minutes. I thought he did a really nice job. And then of course Johnny (senior goalie John McNallan) makes so many great saves when we ask him to. He made a couple that were just ridiculous tonight.”
McNallan posted 15 saves in the match.
It wasn’t until the closing minutes that David Wallerstein buried the game winner off a throw-in for the 2-1 win.
“We bent and did not break,” Toward said. “It was an exciting game to watch and fun to coach. I’m super proud of the guys for their efforts.”
Still searching for their first win, the Jacks take to the road for an 11 a.m. game Saturday, Sept. 11, at Duluth Denfeld.
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“I wish they could get rewarded, being 0-4, when we’re playing as well as we are,” Toward said. “But we’ve run into some good competition in Hill-Murray and Moorhead, Duluth East, and Grand Rapids is up this year. So we’ll get there. I hope they get rewarded this weekend.”
Duluth East 2, Bemidji 1
DE 2 -- 2
BHS 0 -- 1
1, BHS, Stone (N. Johnson), 36’; 2, DE, DesCombaz (Okoro), 54’; 3, DE, Wallerstein, 77’.
