Team looks to get back on track
By Dan Truttschel
Sports Correspondent
The road has gotten a bit rough lately for the East Troy boys soccer team.
Visiting Big Foot-Williams Bay scored just three minutes into the game Monday night and never looked back in a 6-0 Rock Valley Conference victory.
The loss was the Trojans’ fifth straight and dropped them to 1-5 overall and 0-4 in conference play. Big Foot improved to 2-2 in the RVC.
“Things are not working for us right now in the win column,” East Troy coach Mike Bottum said. “We are a young team.
“We need to keep the long-term goals in mind and stick to building our foundation, which is solid defense, ball control and having everyone on the same page while on the field.”
Big Foot took the lead for good at 1-0 on an unassisted goal by Brian Wolski at the 3-minute mark, and then added to the lead eight minutes later on an unassisted goal by Christian Munoz.
The Chiefs added three more scores before halftime, including two goals by Hamilton Smith and one by Payson Partridge. Munoz, Octavio Hernandez and Alberto Huerta each had assists.
Partridge ended the scoring at the 43-minute mark with his second goal of the night.
“We gave up three goals on set plays,” Bottum said. “Our youth and height disadvantage were difficult to overcome.
“Obviously, with the cards against us like that, we must be extremely organized and commit minimal mental errors. We will come up with some creative alternatives for the next time around.”
East Troy opened play last week with a 4-2 loss Sept. 3 to visiting Jefferson.
Senior Kai Bottum had both of East Troy’s goals in the loss. Through this week, he has scored eight of the Trojans’ nine goals.
East Troy is back in action Thursday afternoon against visiting Edgerton. The Trojans will compete at the Milwaukee Lutheran Quadrangular Saturday, Sept. 14, at 9:30 a.m.
The Trojans open the tournament against Thomas More and will face either Milwaukee Hamilton or Wisconsin Lutheran in the second match of the day.
