Notre Dame’s Totti Card (5) prepares to pass the ball, while Silverdale’s Alex Turner (7) attempts to gain possession.
photo by Joy Fisk
Thursday night’s boys' soccer game between top-ranked Notre Dame and Silverdale resembled a game of Slip ‘N Slide after torrential rainfall soaked the field, but that did not stop them from defeating the Seahawks 4 to 0. It was senior night for Silverdale, one of the last boys soccer games that will be played on a grass field that is to be replaced with turf in the coming school year.
Notre Dame looked strong in every way, maintaining possession of the ball for much of the game, passing the ball with precision, and taking advantage of opportunities at the goal to score. It was easy to see why the team is number one in the district and why they hope to have a chance at state this year.
The Fighting Irish’s Dax Brown, a sophomore, scored twice in the first half of the game, but Silverdale stopped multiple goal attempts, with strong defensive efforts by Davy Hammel and Brody Finch, two key players for the Seahawks, as well as goalie Caleb Askew, all three of them seniors.
In the second half, Fighting Irish junior Luke Rossellini scored one goal and sophomore Matthew Bacher scored the final goal of the game. The Silverdale goalie was kept busy much of the night and had some good stops against a relentless offense by Notre Dame.
Jim Schermerhorn, Head Coach for the Fighting Irish, was positive about the win but also felt his team could have played better as he looks ahead to post-season play. “Our season is going pretty good. I mean, I can't complain. When you're coaching, you just expect more, want more, that's all. I can't complain.”
Asked about his mindset going into the game, Notre Dame senior Ian Calhoun said, “I thought that we need to come out strong…after our last win against Boyd…keep that same energy going to this game and clinch the win.” He was clearly excited about his team’s position going into tournament play. “I think we can play very well when we work hard enough, and I think if we work hard enough, we're gonna beat anybody in the state and win the state.”
Assistant Coach for the Seahawks, Carson Mattila, an alumnus of Silverdale, was glad the Seahawks were able to enjoy senior night. He knew they were going up against a strong team, but he commended his team for playing with heart. “We always play to win and we lost against Boyd seven to zero yesterday and I think we bounced back pretty good.” When asked what the Seahawks could have done differently, he said they needed to play more simply. “I think they left everything they had on the field, but sometimes they just overcomplicated things and instead of playing the open man, they tried to force balls we didn't need to.”
Seahawk freshman Jaxon Ford, a center forward, said the team was confident they could hold their own against Notre Dame, reflecting that “no one’s unbeatable.” He thought they played well tonight despite the loss. “It's probably one of the best performances we had in the first half all season, but we need to work on finishing, and work on getting to the goal.”
Askew was already feeling nostalgic about his time with the team. “I just decided to be out there with the rest of the seniors and the rest of my teammates…I love the team, I love the relationship that we have, even though we're not always the best, and sometimes we can get a little heated. It's just we always stick together.”
Head Coach for the Seahawks, Wes Ford, was proud of his team, despite the loss. “First and foremost, they represented the school and the Lord well. They played with heart, with effort. They played together.” When asked what they could have done better, he said, “We just had a couple of mistakes in the back that cost us some goals…I thought we played really well against a really great team…The boys have been ready to play and play for each other and play for the Lord. And so they were excited about a chance to compete…Our underclassman wanted to play their hearts out for their senior friends, and the seniors wanted to leave it all out on the field.”
Notre Dame will have a bye in the first round of post-season play and are more hopeful than ever that their record in the district will translate to a shot at state this year.
Game Summary
Notre Dame 2 2 -4
Silverdale 0 0 -0
Goal Scorers:
Notre Dame: Dax Brown 2, Luke Rossellini, Matthew Bacher