By Adam Knoll
Sports Correspondent
After beginning the season 0-1-1, the Whitewater High School boys soccer team was looking to get its first win of the season against McFarland last Tuesday night.
Though they had lost their offensive bite the previous week, the Whippets were able to get into a groove on the road, routing McFarland 10-3.
Mark Cuevas scored six goals and had one assist while Jake Riemer added two goals of his own. Jake Walton piled on with a solo effort of his own and Alonso Banda helped out with two assists.
“The midfield was able to control the pace of the game and was able to distribute the ball very effectively,” coach Rene Menager said after the match. “The defensive unit was solid.”
The defense was able to keep the ball in front of them as goalkeeper, Jimmy Cushman, only faced seven shots on the night.
With that first win under their belt, the Whippets played their fourth game of the season against Sugar River, at home.
After a bit of back and forth throughout the first 40 minutes of play, Cuevas broke loose deep in Sugar River territory and put the ball in the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead.
The second half was much like the first, with a rigorous technical battle taking place near midfield. Finally, in the 67th minute, Walton fired a pass over to Cuevas who did what he does best, get the ball past the goalkeeper. Now up 2-0, the game was well in hand, and that is how it ended.
“I was very pleased with how the team communicated and controlled the pace of play,” Menager said. “Once again, the defense was solid, Jimmy Cushman recorded his first shutout in goal with four saves.”
The entire back line of Daniel Falcon, Keegan Stoneworth and Chamath Gunawardena deserve recognition for only allowing six attempts on goal all night.
Now at 2-1-1, the Whippets felt confident in themselves as they walked into a battle against undefeated Delavan-Darien in their next game.
The momentum from the two previous games did not transfer over well into Friday night’s match against the Comets, who remains undefeated after a 6-0 decision.
Delavan likes to play fast, and it was the Whippet’s third game in a week and the wear showed in Whitewater. To make matters worse, the Whippets suffered three injuries to defensive starters during the contest – a perfect storm to blow the team off the field.
“(I am) not disappointed with the overall play of the varsity squad,” Menager said. “Delavan is a very good team and this was a learning game for us.”
Cushman again deflected four of the seven shots sent his way while freshman Bryce Parrish saved two of the four shots he faced.
Whitewater is now entering the meat of its season at a respectable 2-2-1 and were set to host East Troy in another conference battle Tuesday. Results from that game will appear next week.
The Whippet JV squad has played hard this season as well to this point but went 0-2-1 in last week’s games.
Beginning with a 3-0 loss to McFarland, the JV Whippets went on to tie Sugar River 2-2 before falling to Delavan 6-1 in a game that closely resembled the varsity match.
