By: Joe Blystone
METAMORA (August 30, 2023) – Despite attempts to go up with, run with, grab and even try to pull them down, Evergreen’s duo of Riley Dunbar and Tyson Woodring hung five first half goals on Liberty Center en route to a 5-2 victory over the Tigers to improve the Vikes record to 5-1 on the season.
It was also the opening night of league play in the NWOAL.
“The good was we scored a lot of goals in the first,” Evergreen coach Dave Skozcyn explained. “We had a lot of guys get involved. We had the ball probably 75 percent of the time. That’s the way we want to play.”
“We have to keep the ball moving, moving, moving and we have been working toward that in the last week.”
It didn’t take long for the Vikings to strike as fans barely reached their seats when Woodring’s throw in from the right side was headed in by Dunbar less than four minutes into the game.
Liberty Center knotted the score with the aid of the sun at the 22:15 mark.
A long up field boot got into the setting sun as every Viking defender stopped, goalie Alex Mossing looking into the sun was slow to react as well and Wes Wilhelm scooped up the loose ball behind everyone and scored in a 1-v-0 chance to tie the match.
“We were missing (midfielder) Alex Fritsch (who was out with an illness) a little bit and we were out of what we were trying to do a little bit,” said Skoczyn. “Wilhelm was really fast and he got behind us and we have to sort that out.”
However, ten minutes later the Vikings exploded with a four-goal barrage in the last 12:15 of the half.
Nick Rosinski’s left to right pass found the left foot of Dunbar who hammered a one timer past Logan Estelle to give the Vikes the lead for good. It took just 29 seconds for Woodring to add on.
The senior striker took a left side loft from Brodie Setmire and blasted a round into the left side of the net to double the advantage.
With 4:59 to go, Woodring split the Tiger defense for over 25 yards and his pass got past Estelle to a waiting Dunbar who punched it in from a yard away.
Evergreen last tally came when Konnor Sanford fed Dunbar who went right to left and again nailed a left foot shot into the goal with 49 ticks left in the half.
“They tried to come down on Riley and Riley finds a different way to get the ball,” Skozcyn stated.
“Set pieces are going to be a problem with his height and strength. We just need to play the right ball through, and I think eventually we will get that idea whether it’s over the top or play it into his feet.”
Evergreen played pretty much keep away in the second half until a misplay in the back line gave Martie Taylor an open lane on his own and a score with 44 seconds left.
Mossing stoned Wilhelm three minutes before that from point blank range in front on the Tigers best chance in the second before the late goal.
Evergreen had 28 shots on the net, 20 in the first half. The 6’7 Estelle had 17 saves.
Joe can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com