NWOAL CLASH … Evergreen’s Cory Kanneman looks to move the ball after taking possession from a Wauseon player. (PHOTO BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Joe Blystone
METAMORA (September 12, 2023) – The last time the Evergreen Vikings won a soccer game in which Tyson Woodring and Riley Dunbar both didn’t put the ball in the net was….. well a really long time ago.
But Dave Skoczyn’s Vikings have still more ways to score, as they rebounded from a 1-0 halftime deficit, and took the lead for good with just over five minutes left on Brady Kanneman’s corner kick to knock off previously undefeated Wauseon 3-2 in Wauseon.
“I think we sat a little too deep in the first half,” Skoczyn said after. “We respect them as a team and when we talked about what we needed to do to change the flow, it was to move Nick (Rosinski) up and just play harder.”
“We let them have too much of the ball in the first and look they are quick, they get in between people.”
“We just needed to play and control the ball and if we did that, then they didn’t have it.”
The Vikings had chances early, but Indian goalie Brody Balser dove to make a save on Woodring’s crossing shot with 28:00 to go in the first half, then batted away Woodring’s free kick three minutes later to keep the Vikings off the board,
The Indians then scored the only goal of the first half on their first shot of the game. Braden Vajen’s long boot over the top was chased down by Gavin Gerig who ended up with a 1-v-0 and beat Alex Mossing from point blank range with 21:05 left. Evergreen had nine first half shots, but Balser made five saves.
Mossing kept the Indians from doubling their lead in the last minute making a big save on Vajen’s attempt from the left side.
Evergreen had a double opportunity with 29:00 left in the game but Dunbar’s bullet went off the left post and Woodring’s follow was contained by Balser.
However, two minutes later the Vikings broke through off one of Skoczyn’s set pieces.
Cory Kanneman’s corner from the left of the goal ended up on the ground in front then into the net off an Indian player to make it 1-1 with 26:58 to go.
“That’s what we do,” Skoczyn said of the goal off the corner. “We want to get the ball in the mixer and let things happen.”
A short time later Vajen had a chance to put the Indians back up, but Mossing came up clean knocking his attempt away from the left.
A Cory Kanneman throw in set up the next Viking tally, as his throw from the left of the net bounded high across the face of the goal and Rosinski flew in with the header past Balser to give Evergreen (8-1, 2-1 NWOAL) a 2-1 lead with 21:45 to go.
“Nick is such a good player and we needed him into more of the flow of the game, which we adjusted at half,” explained Skoczyn.
“He was in the right place at the right time. That’s what we want, more and more guys to add in, add in and add in.”
That margin was short-lived as when a Viking clearing pass deflected off one of their own players, Vajen ended up with the loose ball and knocked it home 23 seconds later to knot the game.
That score lasted for the next 16 minutes until the VIkings keeping the heat on in the Wauseon end broke through.
Dunbar’s header was on the way in, but Balser went up the elevator to tip it over the goal which set up Brady Kanneman for a corner from the right of the goal.
Long ago Babe Ruth called his shot in a World Series game in Wrigley Field. Kanneman isn’t exactly a Babe Ruth look but he made a Ruthian like prediction to Skoczyn.
“He came over maybe three or four minutes before that and told me, ‘hey coach next one I get, I’m going back post and kicking it in myself’.” “He literally just got finished saying that to us just a few minutes before that.”
Kanneman’s shot made it inside the back post, into the side of the net, and pushed the VIkes ahead for keeps with 5:25 on the clock.
Vajen had one last attempt from inside the box from the left, but Mossing corralled his blast like a mama bear cradling her cub to hold the one goal lead.
Mossing had four saves on the night as Wauseon (5-1, 2-1 NWOAL) got off just eight attempts at the net. The Indians high octane offense was hampered mostly by Viking midfielder Alex Fritsch who took high scoring Indian Benicio Torres everywhere except the prom.
Meanwhile Balser was fantastic in the net for the Indians, stopping 11 Viking shots as Evergreen snapped off 21 chances at the goal.
Joe can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
