Shorecrest and Shorewood will renew boys soccer acquaintance Friday night

Expect Jack Bong (left) to be a standout for Shorewood
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

By Frank Workman

Shorecrest and Shorewood will renew boys soccer acquaintances Friday night, 7 o'clock, at Shoreline Stadium.

It's a great opportunity for moms and dads, as well as our local youth coaches, to bring their teams out, boys and girls alike, to watch the big kids play and be a part of the action.

The two teams played a non-league game on March 21, with the Scots earning a 1-0 win.

While that game didn't count in the 3A Wesco standings, when these two teams play each other, it always MATTERS.

The Scots come into Friday's game with a 1-3 league mark, 2-5-1 overall, while the T-Birds stand at 3-2 in league, 3-5-1 for the season.

In some respects, new Shorewood coach Gary Harris is going through that awkward, yet exciting, phase of being in a new relationship, as he acquaints himself with the boys on his team and how best to deploy their skills.

"It has taken about 5 games to figure out who plays what position, as well as finding a formation that suits us best," said Coach Harris.

"Now that we have found both, we are just working on getting better as a team. We have had some wins which have helped our confidence but we know we still have a long way to go. That being said, it is a very balanced league this year and if a team does not show up on any given night, they will pay for it."

Coach Harris continued, "Right now we are the true definition of a team. When everyone is doing their job we look pretty good. When somebody messes up it affects all of us. We are just trying to get better as a team."

Goalkeeper Nathaniel Poole, a junior, has come up with several important saves for the T-Birds, while big senior Jack Bong and lightning-fast sophomore Edwin Montiel stand out for Shorewood.

Expect the Scots to count on juniors Ricardo Ruiz and Elliot Misic to provide the team's scoring punch, while junior Carter Clasen defends the net in goal.