VIKINGS LEADING SCORER … Tyson Woodring found the net twice for Evergreen to lead the Vikings past Archbold 5-0 for their third straight sectional title. (PHOTO BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Joe Blystone
METAMORA (October 21, 2023) – Some four weeks ago it took a Nick Rosinski goal with five minutes left to give Evergreen a narrow 2-1 victory over Archbold on their way to an NWOAL title.
This time when the two teams hooked up in a Division III Sectional Final at Evergreen, the Vikings left no doubt, stifling almost every Archbold offensive threat and lighting up the net five times in a 5-0 win over the Bluestreaks to take their third straight sectional championship.
Evergreen now plays Lake in a Division III district semifinal on Wednesday at Ottawa Hills.
“They are a good team,” Viking coach Dave Skoczyn said after the game. “We knew they were going to be good, and it was going to be competitive.”
“I thought we did understand what everyone’s role was today. We talked about it, and we made some moves in game.”
“From where we started four years ago, to get back-to-back-to-back sectional titles is good for us and good for a very young program.”
“The kids work very hard at it, and they have gotten some success in their blood, and they want more and more and more.”
The Vikes had a chance to jump on top almost before a large throng of Viking fans had reached their seats when Tyson Woodring fed a touch pass to Rosinski darting to the net 90 seconds into the match, but Archbold goalie Carter Kruse made a good save to keep it scoreless.
Neither team had a quality scoring shot for the next 20 minutes but that would soon change.
The Viking’s Tyson Woodring played a ball over the top of the Archbold defense down the left side of the net which Brodie Setmire got control of and ripped a rocket into the top half of the goal with 17:51 on the clock to give the Vikings the only goal they truly needed.
“Brodie has tried so hard all year,” said Skoczyn. “All he does is work, work, work, work, work. We made a decision to put him on the right side going in and he scores.”
“He was in the right place for a pass like that and did the right thing with it when he got it.”
Evergreen was far from done. Nearly six minutes later Konnor Sanford moving toward the net from the left found Rosinski coming down the slot with a pass and the Viking senior rapped shot off the inside of the right post and in to make it 2-0.
Archbold could only muster two shots to the net in the first half with Alex Mossing making a relatively easy save on one.
With the Bluestreaks playing up in the second half, Evergreen’s back line elevated passes over the top and one of those led to the Vikings third goal.
Cory Kanneman’s long boot from deep on the Evergreen end found swift Riley Dunbar where the high scoring forward knocked home a 1-v-1 with the goalie at the 30:51 mark in the second half to increase the margin to 3-0.
Kanneman got another assist 10 minutes later when on a corner kick, he left footed a ball to the backside where Woodring was waiting for the fourth goal.
Woodring got a multiple goal day with 5:39 to go on a tip off the foot of Gavin Raby to close out scoring.
“These kids love playing for each other,” Skoczyn said of the multiple number of players hitting the scoring column with goals or assists.
“They want to win for each other, they don’t care who scores really. They don’t care who gets assists. They just want to get the ball in the back of the net and win games.”
Evergreen did not allow a shot in the last 40 minutes while taking 12 themselves.
Archbold (7-12) – Saves: Karter Kruse 10
Evergreen (16-1-1) – Goals: Tyson Woodring 2, Brodie Setmire, Nick Rosinski, Riley Dunbar; Assists: Corey Kanneman 2, Konnor Sanford, Gavin Raby
Joe can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com