LOWER LAKE — Lower Lake High School boys soccer head coach Michael McMurtrey says its a win every time the Trojans take the field in these trying COVID-19 times.
Even with his Trojans on the losing end of a 7-0 decision to the St. Helena Saints on Tuesday in a North Central League I game at Lower Lake, McMurtrey said it was a victory of sorts.
“We were banged up, but they still wanted to be out there,” McMurtrey said of his players. “Every time they get on the pitch it’s a win for them. They’re still in good spirits, they want to be out there playing.”
Coming off a league win over Fort Bragg in its last match, Lower Lake (1-6-1 league, 1-7-1 overall) concentrated so much on stopping St. Helena’s offense that it was unable to generate much of an attack of its own.
“We were playing heavy defense and weren’t able to generate much of an attack,” McMurtrey said. “In hindsight we probably should have tried to put more pressure on their defense, put them back on their heels a little bit.”
St. Helena led 3-0 at halftime.
“They played fast, they were organized,” McMurtrey said of the Saints, one of the top teams in the league.
“But we can hold our heads up,” McMurtrey said. “We played hard and I’m still proud of these guys.”
No one on the Lower Lake squad tried harder than striker Justin Santana, according to McMurtrey.
“He was all over the field,” McMurtrey said.
Lower Lake returns to action Thursday in Middletown.
In other boys soccer action Tuesday:
Cloverdale 5, Clear Lake 1
At Lakeport, the Clear Lake co-ed team gave undefeated Cloverdale a battle, especially in the first half, before falling to the Eagles in NCL I action.
“They’re a good team,” Clear Lake co-head coach Kevin O’Brien said. “They’ve got some talented guys up front and running out of their midfield. They are so fast.”
Cloverdale (7-0 league, 7-0-1 overall) scored the only goal of the first half before breaking it open early in the second half with two quick goals.
“We hung in there pretty well, especially in the first half,” O’Brien said. “Cloverdale put one in quick in the second half, then another. We really didn’t have an answer.”
Clear Lake closed to 3-1 on Orel Gosman’s long-range shot.
“It came off a free kick from about 40 yards out, it was a thing of beauty,” O’Brien said. “We created some other opportunities but couldn’t finish.”
O’Brien said the effort was clearly there even if the results didn’t produce a win.
“The team as a whole played pretty well,” O’Brien said.
