Jami Martin-Trainor | For the Solon Economist
Tripp Johnson kicks the ball during a soccer game against West Branch Saturday, April 5. The Spartans fell to the Bears 2-5 and pounded Clinton 8-1 in a home triangular.
SOLON — It’s the little moments – the subtle passes slipping right through opponents legs, or a strategic and well-received inbound – that make all the difference.
In the early morning Saturday, April 5, at Solon High School, the Solon boys’ soccer team had several of these moments.
A back and forth volley between sophomore Collin McKie and junior Eli Cash stretching down the field, which was eventually intercepted by the opposing team.
A headbutt and pass from junior Tripp Johnson just missing the goal.
A defensive play by Solon’s goalkeeper, the soccer ball seemingly magnetized to his hands.
However, amid the frigid and overcast morning, with parents and supporters bundled up with hats and gloves and blankets to boot, the Solon Spartans couldn’t make these little moments add up to a victory against the West Branch Bears.
Falling to the Bears, 2-5, the Spartans couldn’t reduce the deficit enough to cinch a win in their first of two matches Saturday morning.
At the end of the first half, West Branch had only notched a single goal, bringing the score to 0-1. However, an explosive second half from the Bears with four goals in that 40-minutes practically secured the win for West Branch.
In the eleventh hour, just 10 minutes left on the clock, the pieces started clicking for Solon. With two goals secured at the end of the match, the Spartans may not have been able to secure their first victory of the season, but they did start building momentum.
During their second match of the day against the Clinton River Kings, building that momentum paid off.
Securing a win over the River Kings, 8-1, the Solon Spartans exerted a consistent effort throughout each half, notching three goals in the first and five in the second.
With the split, the Spartans have improved their record from 0-1 to 1-3 following a 1-2 road loss to Center Point-Urbana Friday, April 4. Solon’s next match will be Friday, April 11, at home against Burlington Notre Dame following a match on Tuesday, April 8, at home against Williamsburg (after this edition had gone to print).