Lions Dominate District Opener

Belen Torres brings the ball up field

Story and photos by Tara Hefferan
 
 
Newaygo Lions Soccer has won their District 47 opening round match against Manistee with a 4-0 score. 
 
The Lions dominated the early minutes of the match, advancing toward the Manistee goal several times.  After firing four shots just off target, the first goal came after a Manistee defender fouled Belen Torres just inside the 18-yard box, resulting in a Newaygo penalty kick.  Grace Painter took the shot, slotting the ball beyond the keeper’s reach.  The score was 1-0 eleven minutes into the game. 
 
The Lions had two other chances before a passing sequence from Jaxi Long to Laura Haavisto set up Painter to blast in a second goal.  The score stood at 2-0 within fifteen minutes.  Manistee found space to make some runs toward the Newaygo net, sending in two balls that Lion Keeper Barbara Toth easily scooped up.  Then, Long and Connelly Hefferan Nordlund had a give and go play on the ball that Long then fired into the net.  The score was 3-0 with 19 minutes left in the half. 

Grace Painter beats the keeper on a penalty kick

The Lions continued to pressure, sending another five shots toward goal.  With less than two minutes left in the half, Manistee found some momentum, with a break away that looked promising.  Center back Sofia Briggs, seeing the threat, turned on the jets to hustle back, clearing the ball to safety.  Yet, the attack returned, as Manistee found its first credible shot on goal in the final seconds of the first half.  Keeper Toth stopped it with confidence.
 
Returning from half-time, Newaygo continued to control the game but had trouble finding the back of the net.  The Lions put more than a dozen shots toward the Manistee keeper before the fourth and final goal of the night.  It came with just four minutes left in the match, when Painter sent a ball into the box off a corner kick.  Long was poised to spring, muscling the ball off a Manistee defender and into the net. 

The Manistee keeper stretches in an attempt to stop a shot

Laura Haavisto sends the ball past the defense

In post-game analysis, Holding Midfielder Lynnea Briones said, “I think we played alright.  We’ve had better games, but we did pretty good.  Coach said this is the first time that Newaygo has won a District’s game out of the boys and the girls in a long time.”
 
Center Midfielder Connelly Hefferan Nordlund said, “It was humid, and we got tired.  We started off strong and kind of settled down a bit, but we were able to score again in the second half.”  In looking forward, Hefferan Nordlund is optimistic.  “I think we can win.  I think we can win Districts.”
 
The Lions play again Wednesday, June 1 in the District 47 Semi-Final against Oakridge.  The game will start at 5:00 PM in Montague.
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At their last game, the Lion exchange students present a memento to the team