Lauren Kelley scored the only goal the W.F. West soccer team needed Tuesday on the road, as the Bearcats came back south from Tumwater with a 1-0 win over Black Hills in 2A EvCo play.
“We just don’t like to make the games easy on ourselves, I guess,” first-year WFW coach Kevin Schultz said.
Kelley came off the bench to slot in up top in a new, more attacking-minded formation for the Bearcats (4-5, 3-2 2A EvCo), and made the difference in the 73rd minute off an assist from Lena Fragner.
“Lena made just a great pass out to her, and she finished well,” Schultz said.
That lone goal was enough thanks to another shutdown performance by the W.F. West defense. Staysha Fluetsch logged two saves on the night, but for the most part, the Bearcats sniffed out any bits of possession the Wolves (0-7, 0-4 2A EvCo) got before it could turn into a real chance.
It’s the Bearcats’ fifth shutout in the past six games. The two goals W.F. West allowed to Tumwater in a 2-0 loss are the only two the Bearcats have conceded in open play in EvCo action.
“I’m really happy with where our defense is at right now,” Schultz said.
Now, the final piece of the puzzle is finding the offense up top; W.F. West has scored just two goals in the past four matches.
“I think we were more dangerous than what we’ve been,” Schultz said. “But we have to trust each other more. It’s that final pass to a teammate, maybe trying to get an assist instead of being the one that gets the goal.”
Black Hills will head to Centralia on Thursday for its next dose of action. W.F. West will be off until next Tuesday, when it faces Rochester.
