The Bulldogs handed current Special District 3 leader East Linn Christian their first loss of the league season as Creswell’s boys’ soccer team picked up a pair of wins last week.
The Dawgs got past East Linn Christian 1-0 on Sept. 25. José Ayala scored the only goal of the game at about the 27th minute, heading in a corner kick by teammate Avel Garcia-Fetter.
“We took 11 shots in the first half, but most went right to their goalkeeper or bounced off the post,” said Creswell Head Coach Brandi Wittenborn. “That’s been the story of our season so far.”
The host Eagles came out strong in the second half, outshooting the Bulldogs, but were unable to score. “In the first 10 or 15 minutes of the half we had only one or two shots on goal,” Wittenborn noted.
Creswell goalkeeper Jaxson Wilkerson made five saves in the first half and six in the second. “He definitely helped keep them from tying or winning it – especially in the second half,” Wittenborn said.
At Jefferson on Sept. 27, the Dawgs bested the Lions 4-0 in a heated game that saw yellow cards on both sides.
In the first half, Julian Nuñez scored off a direct kick by teammate Rogelio Legorreta, and Christian Tucker scored off a pass assist from Legorreta.
In the second half, Cam Nguyen scored off an assist from Nuñez, and the score was brought to its final margin on an own goal by the Lions: “We hit, and it deflected off a Jefferson player and went in,” Wittenborn said.
Wilkerson made two saves in the first half and five in the second.
“Despite the on-field adversity, our team rose above and kept their composure,” Wittenborn said. “I’m super proud of how the guys kept calm, kept the ball moving and didn’t involve themselves in the bickering, which got pretty bad.”
This week, the Bulldogs will seek another league win on the road against Pleasant Hill.