The Cheney High School varsity soccer team’s season is off to a strong start, with the Blackhawks winning three of their first four games.
In a non-conference game against Lewis and Clark on March 15 the team struggled to find its footing, losing 4-0 and making just four shots to LC’s 14.
“One of the things we’re trying to work on are those mental lapses,” head coach René Caro said.
“We know that we won’t be on top all the time and there will be hills and valleys in the game so we want to be able to weather the storm. We want to hold a clean sheet until the momentum swings back to us.”
Against Pullman on March 19, Cheney earned an early lead with a goal from senior Noah Schorzman, assisted by sophomore Dawson Heuett, in the eighth minute. Heuett followed his assist with a goal in the 74th minute, sending Cheney to a 2-0 win.
Last Thursday’s March 21 game against Clarkson was a constant battle, with neither team scoring in the first half. Goalkeeper Trae Babcock held the defensive line with 18 saves over the course of the game. In the second half, a Clarkston player scored in the 45th minute while Schorzman scored in the 68th, causing the game to go into overtime. Cheney eventually won in a penalty shootout 4-3.
The team bumped up their shooting numbers in March 23’s match against West Valley, taking 18 shots to West Valley’s 12. It paid off, and the Blackhawks rode a goal from senior Sam Fix in the 31st minute and a second half goal from Schorzman in the 49th minute to a 2-1 victory.
Caro credits the team’s early success to a strong base of experienced players.
“Everybody’s been playing together for such a long time,” Caro said. “We only graduated two seniors from the starting lineup last year so this core group has been able to build a lot of chemistry.”
The Blackhawk’s will take on Spokane’s East Valley in an away game on March 28.
Shannen Talbot can be reached at [email protected].
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