Kentwood High captain Tucker Robertson makes a tackle in his own box against Thomas Jefferson. BEN RAY, Kent Reporter

Kentwood High captain Tucker Robertson makes a tackle in his own box against Thomas Jefferson. BEN RAY, Kent Reporter

Kentwood High boys soccer battles TJ to scoreless draw

The Conquerors had chances to score, but couldn’t capitalize

The Kentwood High boys soccer team left with a scoreless draw against Thomas Jefferson in its fourth North Puget Sound League game of the season, bringing its overall record to 3-2-2 and league mark to 3-0-1.

“We know we’re a talented group. We just have to move forward and get back to business,” senior Armani Albert said.

It was a tale of two halves for the Conquerors on Tuesday, March 28. A positive half, and one they might not want to look back on.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“We were really lethargic in the first half and weren’t dynamic in the first half,” Coach Ray Johnson said.

During the first half, Thomas Jefferson, (2-2-1, 1-2-1 league) came out firing on all cylinders. The Raiders worked the ball in and around the box for all 40 minutes of that first half.

There were no real opportunities for Kentwood to get its striker Albert involved early. He had just one shot attempt in the first half that traveled wide on the goal.

Even though the Raiders controlled possession and pace in the first half, the Kentwood backline stood firm and allowed just a couple shots on goal.

Keeping the ball out of the net is something this team has done extremely well. The Conks have allowed seven goals over their first seven games, the only teams that have allowed less than a goal a game are Thomas Jefferson (0.8) and Tahoma (0.7).

In the second half, the tide turned in the favor of Kentwood. The shift came as Johnson settled the team in and slowed the game down.

“We adjusted a little bit in the second half,” Johnson said. “We stretched out the field and attacked differently. Unfortunately, we couldn’t capitalize on it.”

In the first 10 minutes of the second half Albert found a way to impact the game. At the 44th minute Albert was on a counter attack and sent a shot off the post. In the 48th minute he delivered a cross into the box and Kentwood’s Matthew Gaul had his shot saved. Then again in the 52nd minute Albert had another shot that was saved.

“He’s extremely dynamic when he’s on,” Johnson said about his striker. “Armani can create a lot of havoc for backlines.”

It was a different style of attack for Albert in the game against the Raiders, he noted that he had to adjust because of the quality of center back Thomas Jefferson had.

“You gotta adjust and find other ways to affect the game. What was best today was getting my teammates involved,” Albert said.

But arguably the best chance of the game came in the 72nd minute off the foot of Kentwood midfielder Hudson Shenk had his shot saved and it got sent into the air by a Raider defender and then Gaul whiffed on his shot and nullified the Conk opportunity.

The rest of the game was all Kentwood but the Thomas Jefferson defense and keeper stood tall and kept the game scoreless.

“After the game you just say we should play that second half all the time… This is a game you could go get,” Johnson said.

The focus moving forward is on their mentality as the games go by.

“We’ll talk about how much more aggressive we were to get to the goal in that second half,” Johnson said. “In the first half it was more of a kick and a wish that Armani would run under it. But in the second half we built through the middle, stretched them out and got behind them a bunch.”

Kentwood takes on Auburn Riverside on Mar. 31.Both teams have averaged 1.0 goals allowed per game.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in Sports

Christopher (left) and Lincoln Moore (right) shake hands on defense. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Moore brothers equal more runs on the Kentlake diamond

Christopher and Lincoln Moore take the field for the Falcons in their first season together.

Graphic provided by Kent School District.
Kent Reporter Athletes of the Week: Kentlake

Morris Schriever (Sr. Judo) and Millie Purganan (So. Dance) win this weeks awards.

Graphic provided by Kent School District.
Athletes of the Week: Kentwood

Alex Palacios and Logan Wilson (unified basketball) and Aubrey Krestle win award.

Mason St. Louis eyes down the defense against Arlington. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Arlington shocks Kentwood with fourth quarter comeback

Kentwood’s season ends before the Tacoma Dome in opening round loss.

Brandon Tagle dribbling the basketball against Sumner. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Kentwood punches ticket to state basketball tournament

Brandon Tagle scores 12 fourth quarter points to fuel comeback.

Courtesy Graphic provided by Kent School District.
Kent Reporter Athletes of the Week: Kent-Meridian

Bryanna Zhunio-Chevez (So. Cheer) and Adonai Garza (Jr. Wrestling) win this weeks awards.

Corey Tita goes for a layup against Curtis. Tyler Rubenstein / For the Reporter
Kentwood basketball pulls away late against Curtis

Kentwood is now 2-1 in district tournament, needing one more win to make state.

Courtesy Photo
Kent Reporter Athletes of the week: Kentlake

Josie Pedeferri (Flag Football Sr.) and Matthew Lawrence (Basketball Sr.) are this weeks winners.

Jaya Brown goes up for a lay-up against Kentwood. Ben Ray / The Reporter
District Tournament preview: Girls basketball

Kentwood and Kentridge sneak in, see tough roads ahead.

Kentwood’s Mason St. Louis takes a three point shot. Ben Ray / The Reporter
West Central District Tournament preview: Boys basketball

Kentwood and Kent-Meridian face tough competition in opening rounds.

Graphic provided by Kent School District.
Kent Reporter Athletes of the Week: Kentwood

Luke LeChance (Jr. Swim) and Alena Ton (Jr. Basketball) named this weeks winners.

Graphic provided by Kent School District.
Kent Reporter Coach of the Month: Julie Foree

Foree has been coaching for 15-years and currently coaches at Cedar Heights Middle School.