The Aberdeen Central boys’ soccer team found itself in a foreign position Thursday afternoon, but eventually responded to the challenge to extend its winning streak to seven games.
The Golden Eagles had their shutout streak snapped, but came up big down the stretch for a hard-fought 2-1 win over Brookings in an Eastern South Dakota Conference contest at Brownell Activities Complex.
“It was a battle. We looked like we were carrying around Tuesday’s game, yet,” said Central coach Lance Mohr. “Just in our legs, it looked like we just could not get going, and get going and then finally we got the break in the second half and we got a goal, and then that gave us a shot of momentum that carried us to the second one.”
Mohr said it was good for the Golden Eagles to face a challenge like they did against the Bobcats.
“We needed some adversity,” Mohr said. “We just needed that test.”
After Brookings scored with the wind at its back in the opening half, the Golden Eagles ended up trailing for a good share of the contest, a position Central hasn’t been in since Aug. 19.
“It took us a while to shake it off. It’s something we’ve got to work on,” Mohr said. “We were fortunate to learn a lesson the right way. We ended up on the top side of it.”
Central eventually tied the score when Linus Johnson found the back of the net on a ball in the box with 17:26 remaining, and then took the lead on a picture-perfect feed from Bryson Burgard to Gus Bjerknes who tapped the ball into the goal with 10:50 remaining.
“That was perfect,” Bjerknes said of the assist. “He knew where to go. I was just calling his name.”
The Golden Eagles possessed the wind in the final 40 minutes and it resulted in numerous chances on the Brookings goal.
“We had the ball on their half for most of the second half,” Bjerknes said, “so making those chances is what made me feel a little more at ease, because I knew one of them was bound to go in.”
Mohr said his squad needs to be able to finish those chances when they get them.
“It’s the last piece, just finding that last touch, and last chance,” Mohr said. “You could see the couple goals we had. One was a bouncing ball, but the second one was just a last pass, creating the great chance as opposed to the good one.”
The Bobcats received a goal from speedster Forrest Giard in the first half. He challenged the Central defense on numerous occasions.
“If you’re tighter on him, which I should have been a little more tight, it’s easier to stop him,” said Central defender Koltin Swearingen. “If you give him the space, he’s going to get around you and you’re just beat. You just gotta stay tight.”
Mohr said the Golden Eagles will face similar threats in upcoming games.
“He caused us some problems today. He had a heckuva game,” Mohr said. “We’re going to see those tests going down the way here and we have to deal with it better than we did today, that’s for sure.”
Once the Central allowed its first goal in nearly a month, the Golden Eagles regrouped and pitched a shutout the rest of the way.
“After the goal, we got together, we talked about it,” Swearingen said. “We said get your mind in the game, and we just fixed it from there.”
Central’s defense has been stellar all season, allowing just five goals in nine games this fall.
“I feel our like defense is training really well together as a unit, rather than individuals,” Swearingen said. “We have depth on the bench, too, which really helps get people water and rest which is very, very helpful this year.”
As a result of Thursday’s outcome, two of Central’s season-long goals remain in tact: being undefeated in the ESD, and being undefeated at home.
“It really means a lot to do that,” Bjerknes said, “to keep the goals we made at the beginning of the season and to keep sticking with it. It feels really good.”
Central plays at Tea Area on Tuesday and at Sioux Falls Lincoln on Thursday. Both teams also have lost just once this season.
“Two more tough games next week,” Mohr said. “We’ve got to get our legs back under us and look at some film and improve, and go back at it Tuesday.”
The Golden Eagles are 8-1 on the season and plan on extending their winning streak in back-to-back trips next week.
“We’re going to work hard these next couple practices, get our feet back under us, and then go down to Sioux Falls, get a result, and go down again and get a result,” Bjerknes said. “That’s the plan. It’s going to be about 16 hours of bus drives. It’s going to be heavy, but we’re just going to do the right things.”
Brookings (4-5-1) 1 0 – 1
Aberdeen Central (8-1) 0 2 – 2
First Half: 1, B, Forrest Giard, 23rd minute.
Second Half: 2, AC, Linus Johnson, 63rd minute; 3, AC, Gus Bjerknes (Bryson Burgard), 70th minute.
Goalies: Brookings, Sawyer Steen; Aberdeen Central, Zander Kuhfeld.
Shots on Goal: Brookings, 4; Aberdeen Central, 8.
