Game Recaps

Click here for link to Mlive recaps

Portage Northern Defeats Arch Rival Portage Central in an Unprecedented 5-0 Victory to Win the SMAC Championship

It was a night every Portage Northern player and fan will remember. The stands were full to overflowing. The parents had butterflies of anticipation in their stomachs. And the fans were energized and plentiful. The players were ready. They came out on fire and they never turned back. The movement of the ball was masterful, and passing was precise. Players seemed to know where their passing options were and were threading the needle right and left. Portage Northern started shooting early in the game, with Ryan Melgar letting fly a strong, long shot from outside the box, which ricocheted off the near post. Travis Wojcik followed suit with a shot that went high. By the 14th minute, Travis set a ball up to Melgar at the corner of the 6 yard line, where he worked it to his right and shot it in low for the first goal of the game. There was never a dull moment of play as every Northern player put in their best effort to thwart Central. Gavin Vinstra took a long hard run shoulder to shoulder down the line with Central’s Justin Oberheim, and came away with the ball. Grant Perrine charged across the middle with controlled maneuvers to play the ball up the middle to Melgar. Melgar managed to control it out from under his feet and toe poked it into the goal. Perrine took a beautiful long ball shot on a free kick, but the keeper stopped it out of the air.
The beginning of the second half was more of the same, intense, fast play with precise passing, and shooting. Portage Northern started the shooting with Travis making his usual aggressive controlled attacks, but missing over the top. Melgar shot next, forcing a save by the keeper, but the loose ball was retrieved by Travis, who drew a foul in the box. The penalty kick was taken by Melgar, who confidently tucked it away, completing a hat trick. This will clearly go down as his most memorable senior moment. There seemed to be no stopping the momentum of this group of boys as they all played as if their lives depended on it. No one let up. No one waited for someone else to do it. Every ball was the next chance for a goal. Travis made several hard runs up the middle. Trevor Towghi fired a shot. Trent Wojcik worked hard to control the ball up the sides and managed to blast a long, high ball across the net to connect with Crooks who headed it in for goal number four. The fifth and final goal was set up by Crooks, who passed a long through ball to Melgar who ran it up the middle and managed to get the shot off with the defender at his side. Ball control was impeccable tonight, as was team work. As usual the Northern defense took good care of its keeper, but Hasten Biddlecome logged another four saves tonight, and prevented several other goal scoring opportunities. Coach JD Rhodes and staff have prepared this entire team well for the challenges they are about to face with upcoming Districts, Regionals and States. We applaud your performance tonight and we wish you Godspeed.

Portage Northern Defeats Battle Creek Lakeview 5-0

It was anything but business as usual for the Huskies tonight. It was Senior Night and 8 of the 10 senior parents were facing empty nest realities, with a few of them fighting back tears. The field was damp and slippery and ready to take down any player who thought they could take off quickly. It was bouncier than usual and the ball was spinning all over the place. And in Senior Night fashion, all seniors were in the starting lineup, with Trevor Towghi chosen as the token Junior to fill out the 11. Matt Ruterbush was up top, and everyone longed to see him get a goal. He has worked hard all season, and given his all every game, but unfortunately the ball was not cooperating. Shots were being fired, but the ball was spinning high and wide and rather out of control until well into the first half. Opportunity was finally at a premium when Steven Garside passed the ball up to Travis Wojcik, who took off on a breakaway. Lakeview keeper came out to seize the ball before Travis could control it, and it looked as if it was an opportunity lost. Travis continued in pursuit, and managed to imperceptibly flip the ball away from the keeper and move in to finish with a goal.
It was anyone’s guess what would happen in the second half, but Northern came out with renewed energy and determination, and Travis in the forward position and Ryan Melgar moved to midfield. This change up was effective, as it did not take long for Melgar to pass to Travis, setting up the second goal of the night. Momentum was moving in our favor, however slowly, until the lights went out on the field, and ON in our players. When power was restored about 20 minutes later, the Northern attack was relentless. Gavin Vinstra got the attack started when he laid up the perfect ball to Tucker Anson, who confidently headed the ball into the goal. Next it was Grant Perrine, who crossed the ball in to Eli Cartier. Cartier took a shot, keeper deflection, and then a masterful maradona and a flick in for goal number four. Anson was in the limelight once again when Perrine made the pass and Anson took it in on a breakaway, and another controlled, well placed shot. Lakeview worked hard the entire game, and made several strong runs on the Northern goal. Lakeview Forward Theodor Pfeiff led the attack, never gave up, and pushed Northern defense to work hard. Portage Northern keeper Hasten Biddlecome logged 3 saves in the game, and defender Wes Hyames logged a Baker’s dozen serious headers to keep the ball away from the Northern goal. Ice that head Wes, you are going to need it in the weeks ahead!
The night the lights went out in Huskietown, it was a good night. (Well, for the Huskies that is)!

Portage Northern pulls out Win Against Kalamazoo Central 1-0

It was a rough night all the way around.The weather was windy, wet and cold. Kalamazoo Central had the strategy and the opportunities, but just could not finish. Portage Northern was squeezed and squeezed hard by the 9 person defense they faced, and it effectively tied up their shooting feet. Things did not look good. Nothing Portage tried seemed to free up their feet to shoot when they were near the box. The only shot that PN had on goal in the first half came from Travis Wojcik, but it was deflected by a defender just feet from the goal. Defenders surrounded whomever had the ball, and Kalamazoo Central’s speed served them well. Despite the heavy defensive strategy that KC was playing, they somehow managed to string together numerous offensive runs up the side, controlled by their only player left at the top, Number 6-Ben Sandford, but fortunately for Portage many of these attacks ended with shots high and wide. The second half was more of the same, with a lot of passing the ball around but very little shooting. Not until almost halfway into the half did Northern finally find an opening. Midfielder Trevor Towghi spotted it, threaded the ball through the needle to Levi Crooks, who wasted no time to turn and kick a nice low ball in for a goal. This seemed to turn the momentum in favor of Portage, but KC keeper Joe Uekert managed to stop any other shots from getting by him. Portage Northern keeper Hasten Biddlecome appeared to see more action tonight than he has seen most of the season. He pulled out a couple spectacular saves to hold Kalamazoo scoreless, and allow Portage to hold onto their grueling and challenging victory. Portage Northern will face Battle Creek Lakeview on Tues at home for Senior Night and their final home game of the regular season.

 

Portage Northern defeats Gull Lake 3-0

It was another gorgeous night for soccer and for the Huskies. Team play seem to be at a premium and passing controlled, and deliberate. The entire team appeared composed and agile, and if a mistake was made, immediate action was taken to correct the problem. Gull Lake was on the defensive the majority of the game, and effectively at that, shutting down shooting opportunities the bulk of the first half. Zach Brotebeck, Sullivan Cummings, and Trevor Towghi each had a solid shot on frame, but Gull Lake keeper Kaden McCloughan was ready with a save or deflection. Not until the 27th minute did Portage Northern break through the defense with a perfect passing relay from Trent Wojcik, to Cummings, to Levi Crooks for a close range shot and a goal. That goal was followed by a perfect left foot shot by Grant Perrine, and a diving save by McCloughan. Portage finished out the half with some defender offensive action, when Wes Hyames chested the ball down off a corner kick and promptly shot it in for goal number two. Hasten Biddlecome saw little action in the box, due to Northern’s always at the ready defense, but made a save on a well placed free kick by Gull Lake, to end the half.

The second half saw the Gull Lake keeper racking up the saves as the deluge began. Cummings got the shooting started with a long ball pass to Crooks for a shot and a GL save. Next it was Eli Cartier passing off to Tucker Anson who placed a perfect shot on frame, forcing a diving save from McCloughan. Crooks was up next, with his lightning speed running down a perfect through ball, but McCloughan barely beat him to it to clear the ball. Shooting continued as Travis Wojcik made a breakaway but the shot was missed high. Next Travis passed off to Anson who got his second shot of the night, but again a keeper save. Perrine laid up a high cross to Ben Sefton for a header, and another keeper save. McCloughan got a break for a few moments as Northern shots were missed wide or high, but not by much. Gull Lake had their second scoring opportunity on a beautiful free kick to the high far post, but a confident grab by PN keeper Ryan Ingersoll dashed their hopes. Forward Ryan Melgar found himself back in his comfort zone, going in as a center midfielder late in the second half, and making a driving run around defenders to pass off to Cummings. Cummings finished with an exclamation point, celebratory goal. While the scoring ended here, sophomore Josh Hartman put in some aggressive attacking runs.

PN suffered a couple casualties in the game with Gavin Vinstra taking a hard hit from a knee to his inner thigh. Trent Wojcik left the game with ice on his foot, and Zach Brotebeck earned his first yellow card presumably for some sass. Kudos to the entire team, but a special shout out to midfielders for controlling the game and setting up the attacks.

Portage Northern Ties Portage Central 1-1

Energies were high in this heavily attended soccer matchup between arch rivals Portage Northern and Portage Central. Stands were full to overflowing, and the fence line was 2 deep from one end to the other. Portage Northern came out on the offensive, pressuring Central’s defense in the first minute of play, and ending up with a Northern goal off a erroneous attempt to clear a ball by a Central Midfielder. While Northern appeared to command possession, they were not able to turn possession into another goal, despite numerous shots taken. Central keeper Nick Kuppler made upwards of 10 saves, and was supported by a tight defensive line, led by senior Idris Daranijoh. Daranijoh was in the thick of every run Northern put together. Northern forwards Ryan Melgar, Grant Perrine, Levi Crooks, and Sullivan Cummings were double and often triple and quadruple teamed in efforts to shut down the scoring.
The second half saw increased intensity on both sides, followed by several yellow cards. Despite the physical nature of the game, there were no serious injuries sustained in this relatively clean game. Northern keeper Hasten Biddlecome did not face an onslaught of shots, but what shots he did face were solid and well placed. Ten minutes into the second half Central senior Wess Toutanji broke away from the pack and squeezed in a perfect shot into the lower right corner for Central’s first goal of the game. Northern responded with an aggressive run to the end of the field by Crooks who managed to get off a cross that was saved by a defender. Northern was unrelenting in their attack, with crosses and shots coming from Crooks, Perrine, Melgar, Trevor Towghi, Trent Wojcik and Travis Wojcik, but to no avail.
Overtime play saw Central senior Alex Osterhout getting off the first shot, giving Biddlecome a crucial save. But that was the only shot fired by Central in overtime. Again possession and shots were largely controlled by Northern. Several threatening runs by Central were prevented from materializing because of solid positioning on the part of Northern midfielders Gavin Vinstra and Trent Wojcik. Additionally, Travis Wojcik made a spectacular play when he kicked into high gear to overtake a Central offensive player near Northern’s 18-yard box, successfully regaining possession. Hopes were high numerous times in overtime as Northern continued to crash the net. Zach Brotebeck took a great shot, which was deflected to Trent who shot again, with yet another save from Central keeper. Melgar had a chance on a through ball, but before he could work around the keeper, he was sandwiched between three defenders, and placed the shot over the top. Literally until the final second of double overtime, Northern had possession inside the Central 18-yard box in an all out offensive to fire a final shot. This made for a bittersweet end, as both teams were forced to settle with a tie. Kudos to all players on both teams who played a spectacular game and who represented their schools well.

Portage Northern Defeats Heritage High School 1-0

It was another sluggish start for Portage as they continued to try to find their footing on a slippery field with yet another set of player combinations. Communication was lacking, and passing was off. The team seemed to be in slow motion for the first ten minutes or so, with midfield unable to control the action enough to put together any sort of offensive activity. Forward Ryan Melgar was even forced to venture all the way into defensive territory to move the ball back up the field. Very few shots were actually fired in the half, with the exception of one by Trevor Towghi, and another by Levi Crooks. Crooks dribbled in with 3 defenders on his tail, managed to take a hard shot, that deflected off the right post, and was cleared. Heritage took  one shot in the half, firm and low, but it was saved by Hasten Biddlecome.

The second half saw Portage returning more to their usual game, but still not able to get many shots off before Heritage defense would get in the way. Passing connections were more complete and more organized, and movement on the field was more energetic. Zach Brotebeck was a stand out in the energy department, giving his all to retain possession, and never willing to wait for someone else to do it. Travis Wojcik connected on several passes to Crooks, Ryan Melgar, and Eli Cartier, but it was finally a pass to Melgar that was taken in for a goal. Heritage keeper made several saves on solid shots from Crooks, Cartier and Melgar. Portage keeper Ryan Ingersoll logged 2 saves in the half. As usual, Matt Ruterbush was a force to be reckoned with controlling the back half of the field. He showed tremendous flexibility and unparalleled quick thinking, as he coordinated the efforts of another combination of defenders.

Kudos to Zach Brotebeck and Ryan Melgar for assisting with cleanup of the team luncheon without being asked.

Portage Northern Served It’s First Lost Of the Season by East Lansing HS 0-1 

It was a gloomy day on the fields, with pouring rain turned to light drizzle making for muddy slippery conditions for players on both sides. But it appeared that these conditions affected Portage Northern much more than East Lansing. EL came out ready to take on the undefeated Portage Northern team and put them through their paces. They put the pressure on Portage making it nearly impossible for Portage to take a shot. Coach Rhodes came into this weekend tournament with the objective of pushing everyone on the team to get better. It was his assessment that “East Lansing HS was a quality team, and that it was a hard fought battle”… but “our shooting boots were not quite on today”. From the stands it appeared that more than the shooting boots were off today. The passion was missing for many players today, and there was no one player who could make up for the apparent lack of chemistry and energy in this game. Grant Perrine and Ryan Melgar took a couple nice shots early in the first half, but they went wide. Shortly thereafter, East Lansing took a shot, it was deflected by Keeper Hasten Biddlecome, but they scored on the rebound. There were no spectacular plays to be had on either side, just a lot of passing back and forth, and failed passes at that. East Lansing exposed Portage’s weaknesses, which is an essential part of Portage pushing themselves harder. This weekend was not about winning, but about improving. Without awareness of their weaknesses, how can they hope to get bigger, faster, stronger, more organized. The challenge awaits this team.  

Portage Northern Defeats Lakeshore 3-1

Click here for video Highlights

Some Portage Northern parents referred to today’s game as uninspired. I beg to differ. Does the absence of bicycle kicks, wild bull rides, diving saves, and defensive slide tackles turned acrobatic tumbles, make the game uninspired? We have come to expect the steady flow of Hasten Biddlecome saves,TGV-high-speed-train runs from Matt Ruterbush, out-of-his-mind headers from Ben Sefton, and Wes Hyames’ tumbles, slides and yellow cards. Travis Wojcik continues his “lighter than air” foot-dance and fake, finding his fellow midfielders wherever they are. Eli Cartier remains the master of slide tackles with some hockey angst thrown in. Ryan Melgar and Grant Perrine continue to work the ball and challenge the opponent to take them down before they can set up a goal, or score a goal. The scoring keeps coming, from a multitude of players on the field. The opponents have studied the Northern strengths and have reset their strategy to put a vice grip on our offense. The Lakeshore Lancers put that defensive strategy into play, and Portage Northern adjusted on the fly. Despite the 6 or more back that PN was faced with, they worked the ball around taking upwards of 13 shots in the game. The Lakeshore keeper Cole Sing made 10 saves and cleared the ball to prevent goal scoring opportunities at least 6 times.

Scoring began early in the game when Sullivan Cummings headed the ball to Ryan Melgar who took the ball in for a goal. Lakeshore appeared to further tighten things up, holding PN scoreless for the next 27 minutes, and both teams collected a few yellow cards. In the 30th minute  Lakeshore put in a goal of their own with a long shot from Dillon Sing, strategically placed far out of keeper reach. That goal set PN on fire, with Freshman Levi Crooks as the spark. Crooks set the ball up for Trent Wojcik, who crossed it to Grant Perrine, who took it in for a go-ahead- goal. Crooks was the center of the next attack as he dribbled the ball in, and just before the keeper could get his hand on it Crooks tipped it away, and got off a great shot that was unfortunately beautifully blocked by a defender. The half ended with 3 more close range shots on Lakeshore, with Sing saving all of them.

PN got their security goal early in the second half when Melgar passed the ball to Trevor Towghi who took the shot. The ball was deflected off a defender, but unfortunately for Lakeshore it landed in front of Trent who took a power shot in for goal number 3. Before the game was over both teams saw one of their players limping off the field, and another PN yellow card. Despite the numerous and varied player combinations that coach Rhodes played, Northern continued to drive shots on goal, and Lakeshore’s Sing kept the saves coming. Defensively Northern continued to secure the back and protect their keeper. PN wants to have a long season, and a healthy uninjured keeper is essential. So for some, maybe they appear to be uninspired, but as far as I can tell the boys all seem to understand their mission, and keep pushing on to victory, no matter what it takes.

Portage Northern Defeats Mattawan 1-0

Click Here for video Highlights.

Given the history between Portage Northern and Mattawan, today’s was a highly anticipated battle. One team came out ready, the other a little sluggish. Mattawan was first on the attack, slipping past Northern’s historically tight defense to have a shot on goal. But before they could get off a shot, Northern defender Wes Hyames somehow managed to thwart the attack. It was a solid ten minutes into the game before Northern made any serious advances on Mattawan. Northern’s first run ended with a corner kick that was nearly headed in by Ryan Melgar, but went wide. The remainder of the first half was a constant battle for control of the ball, with neither team willing to concede possession. The Mattawan strategy appeared to be a wall of defense, with one offensive player, namely JT Hagemann. Hagemann was fast, aggressive, unrelenting, and was a constant threat to the Northern defense and keeper. Meanwhile, the rest of the Mattawan team seemed to squeeze Northern into an uncomfortably narrow field. While Northern made several attempts to put together passes to set up goal scoring opportunities, very few shots on goal were actually fired. It is no surprise in a game of this caliber that Mattawan got two yellow cards and Northern got one for tripping.

The second half saw Portage Northern more determined than ever to break up the Mattawan defense to find the back of the net. Early in the half Travis Wojcik slotted the ball through the middle to brother Trent Wojcik, but Trent was just one step shy of the ball when the keeper snagged it. It was not until the 16th minute of the half that Northern managed to part the waters, if only for a moment. As Ryan Melgar carried the ball up the middle, he made a quick pass off to Travis Wojcik. Travis worked it for a moment, but in a flash managed to find Melgar back up the middle and slotted the ball through to him. It was the perfect pass and the perfect finish, as Melgar took the ball in for the one and only goal of the game. The remaining 24 minutes of the game had everyone on the edge of their seats, as Northern tried desperately to get another security goal, and Mattawan pushed to tie things up. Hagemann came just inches from achieving that goal when he worked the ball in for two close-range shots on goal. The first was blocked by Northern’s defense and the second was saved by keeper Hasten Biddlecome. Biddlecome saw more action tonight than he has most of the season. He made five saves and foiled several goal-scoring opportunities. Hyames did his fair share of frustrating Mattawan’s offense as he managed repeatedly to appear out of nowhere to interrupt a good run. Northern senior midfielder Zach Brotebeck was another shining star tonight. He was in the right place at the right time, intercepting numerous passes, especially throughout the last five minutes of the game as Mattawan appeared to be gaining momentum. The play continued intensely to the very end, but then many of the boys turned to hug their opponents and walked off the field together. It was a very classy ending to a great game between friends and old teammates.

PN Defeats St Joseph 5-0

Click Here for video highlights 
In another exciting game, Portage Northern commanded the field with controlled passing, quick give and goes, and fiery determination. On both sides this appeared to be a physical game, but despite that intensity PN escaped without a scratch or a yellow card. Freshman St Joseph keeper Nicholas Menke put in a strong performance, facing a barrage of shots, corner kicks, and crosses, denying PN from scoring on numerous occasions. But in the 9th minute of play, there was a long pass by Ben Sefton to Ryan Melgar who dribbled the ball into the box, flicked it around the last defender and the goal keeper who were mere inches from controlling the ball, maneuvered right and shot into an open net. PN set up several more goal scoring opportunities in the half, but they were plagued by off sides calls a significant number of times. Late in the first half, Freshman Levi Crooks made a spectacular play when he worked the ball hard near the touch line, snagged the ball away just before the keeper could snatch it, took it out wide, made a quick turn and shot the ball back into the far side of the net. Crooks nearly got a second goal when a free kick from Matt Ruterbush was deflected by the keeper into Eli Cartier who knocked it back to Crooks who made a grand bicycle kick, that unfortunately landed the ball into the hands of Menke. Crooks was not ready for the half to be over though. He received a pass from Melgar near the top of the box, and after a short attack forward he made a strategic pass back to Melgar. Despite being sandwiched between 2 defenders, Melgar managed to peel away to get off a left footed shot for a goal.
The second half began with further displays of the guts and determination of the SJ keeper. A long cross perfectly directed to PN forward Grant Perrine was certain to be a goal, but beforePerrine could get his head on it, Menke punched it out of the air, and then proceeded to clear it from the top of the box. This was a pretty daunting task, considering the size differential between Menke and Perrine. Menke continued with more saves, but when Eli Cartier dribbled the ball in on a pass from Travis Wojcik, Menke did not stand a chance. And again, when Trent Wojcik was fouled in the box and Grant Perrine took the PK, there was not much more he could do. In the final 12 minutes of the game, the field was nearly complete with newcomers to the PN varsity team, with the only veterans being Zach Brotebeck and Aidan Sorensen. It was a fine performance by all involved, and in the final minute of play Chase Valentine almost put the icing on the cake. He placed a beautiful shot around the keeper but the far post got in the way, and gave SJ just enough time to clear it. It was another nice victory for Portage Northern as coach JD Rhodes and staff prepare the entire team for the next opponent. Keep working hard boys.
Your effort shows.

PN 8 Loy Norrix 0

Click here for video highlights

Portage Northern defeated  Loy Norrix 8-0 on this hot and humid Michigan evening.
The shooting started fast and furious, as Eli Cartier dribbled the ball in for the first shot of the
game in the fourth minute of play. It was a great play, but unfortunately Cartier was offsides, and
the goal was disallowed. It was not much longer before Travis Wojcik made a pass to Grant
Perrine, who worked his way in 1 v 1 with the keeper, to score the first goal of the game.
Perrine shortly thereafter laid up a corner kick to Ben Sefton, who headed it in decisively for
goal number two. The remainder of the half remained scoreless, as the defense on both sides
tightened up their game. Keeper Hasten Biddlecome made an aggressive move to punch a

strong free kick out of goal scoring range. He made his second save of the half when he got his hands on a strong
free kick from the 40, from LN Freshman Jose Torres. The LN keeper made a great save on a
shot from Tucker Anson off a cross from Levi Crooks.
I don’t know what coach Rhodes said to his Huskies during the halftime break, but whatever
it was, the Huskies were relentless in their attack in the second half. A lot of unselfish passing
and team effort put Travis Wojcik in the scoring position for the next three goals. First it was a
pass from Ryan Melgar to Travis for a goal. Next it was a pass from brother Trent Wojcik to
Travis and another goal. Keeper Cristian Jaimes got his hands on the shot, but it was too hard
and low for him to contain it. This goal was followed by a strong run by Melgar, who went head
to head with Jaimes, but was thwarted by a great save at the top of the box. Then Perrine
attacked and, again, a save by Jaimes. Finally, Travis took the ball in again and, though Jaimes
nearly snagged it, he just could not stop it. The onslaught continued with Matt Ruterbush laying
up a great ball on a free kick from the 40, but again Jaimes made the save. Jaimes never let
down his effort, but the Portage Northern passing game continued to capitalize on any gap in
the defense. Sullivan Cummings made a quick touch pass to Trevor Towghi who finished with a
goal. Next it was Freshman Crooks who put in a hard run to the touch line, continued to fight to
control the ball, and then made a quick pass off to Towghi, who put the ball in for goal number
7. Cummings had a beautiful goal scoring opportunity on a free kick, but a great save out of the
air by LN sophomore Will Keller blocked that goal. With only a few minutes left in the game,
Crooks again set up a teammate for a goal, passing the ball off to Chase Valentine, who
finished with a close range shot on goal, bringing the game to an early end.

PN 1 EK 1

Click here for video Highlights

In the toughest game of the season so far, Portage Northern continued strong  until the end in  an intense rivalry with  East Kentwood. Both sides were probably grateful for a tie, as at any moment a victory could have been claimed by either side. Intercepted passes, splits, headers,  slide tackles, and diving saves abounded on both sides. I have to imagine that both teams left with a mutual respect for the intensity and skill of the opponent. So intense was the pressure from the defense, that neither team managed to get off more than 1 or 2 shots in the first half, which ended scoreless. Keeper Hasten Biddlecome made it clear he was all in for this game when in the first minute of play he made a diving knock down and bouncing trap to prevent a serious goal scoring opportunity. You just had to be there.

The intensity continued into the second half, but EK were the first to find the back of the net, when a free kick outside the box was perfectly set up for a goal on a header. Northern continued efforts to move the ball around and catch East Kentwood off guard, but very few opportunities opened up. Grant Perrine managed a gorgeous long ball that looked hopeful, but in the end it skimmed over the top. It was finally a cross from Trent Wojcik that set the ball in motion for PN to score and tie things up 1-1. While the keeper headed out to capture the ball,  Ryan Melgar ran in hard to prevent the keeper from getting his hands on it. Chaos ensued, as every PN player managed a touch to keep the ball alive in front of the net. The final pass appeared to have come from Gavin Vinstra, who crossed it over to Eli Cartier who chested it into the goal. Spectacular!!!!!!! That seemed to set the shooting action in motion. Shots from Travis Wojcik,  Vinstra, and Trevor Towghi  followed in close succession, but access was always denied. Travis got  a nice header off a free kick, however, a huge diving save by Kentwood keeper kept that one out. PN fans all held out hope for a goal in the final minute of play when a brilliant pass by Travis was laid between 2 defenders, as Perrine  ran up the side to receive the pass. An all out splits by the Kentwood defender allowed him to get his toe on the ball to deflect the pass. And that was all she wrote. An all out sprint by both teams for 90 minutes, with no room for error, and no time to stop and think what next. The entire team rose to the occasion and Biddlecome logged 6 saves in the process. Nice work team!

 

PN vs FHC

Portage Northern is making big strides into their 2016 season. Coming off a strong 2015 season in which they graduated 10 seniors, the varsity team has picked up 12 new players, and won their first 7 games. Coach Rhodes and staff have methodically worked their way through the roster, experimenting with a variety of player combinations to ready the newcomers for the varsity level of play, and searching for his ultimate starting line up. The newcomers have risen to the challenges of their opponents, logging 3 goals and 6 assists in 4 of the first 7 games of the season. Defensively Northern is well prepared to take on the full range of attacks. Returning seniors Matt Ruterbusch, Ben Sefton, Wes Hyames and Aidan Sorensen have already sent a clear message that they do not intend for anyone to get by them. They are joined by a new defensive crew of Brian Schreiber, Josh Hartman, and Justin Watts.

Facing off with last year’s state champions, Forest Hills Central, Portage Northern came out aggressive and methodical. Less than 3 minutes into the game, Northern’s tight passing game culminated in a goal kick by Hasten Biddlecome out to forward Ryan Melgar. Ryan took the ball in, facing off with the keeper, and working his way around for the first goal of the game. PN continued play with an unrelenting determination, with 9 shots fired in the half, but the tight Forest Hills Central  defense shut down any further scoring in the half. The second half began with  FHC showing a  renewed determination to turn the momentum around. PN was caught on their heels in the 4th minute when a FHC free kick was masterfully played across the top of the box and swiftly redirected into the goal. As much as I hate to say it, this was a beautifully executed set play that tied things up, but PN was not to be outdone. FHC offense was completely shut down after this goal, by defense of Speedy Gonzalez- Matt Ruterbusch, and preemptive headers by the entire back line. FHC only managed to take 3 shots the entire game, giving Biddlecome 2 saves. It was beginning to look as if the game might end in a tie, when in the 23rd minute Freshman Levi Crooks got off a solid shot. Unfortunately for him it bounced off the left post, but it was quickly snapped up by senior Sullivan Cummings who took it home for a goal. It was not long after that  that Trevor Towghi set up a long ball to Trent Wojcek, who took on 2 defenders and a keeper, but still managed to finish things off with goal number 3, for a final score of 3-1. PN will take on East Kentwood for their home opener on Tues August 30, JV starting at 5pm. and varsity at 6:30.

Portage Northern JV Soccer
PN v Forest Hills Central
Saturday, August 27

The JV team played a much stronger game today, holding Forest Hills Central scoreless until the 68th minute before finally losing 1-0 to the Rangers.

 

Justin Bailey Tournament.

The Varstity Men opened up their season with 2 impressive wins at the Justin Bailey Memorial Shootout. With the Huskies hosting the tournament this year the team came out and handled Zeeland East 5-0 in the opening game. The second game started with storms looming on the Horizon. The Huskies were just starting to roll and were up 2-0 5 minutes into the second half when all games were halted and considered official due to the weather. Both the Varsity and JV teams travel to West Ottawa on Monday.

JV Recap.

Game #1
PN v Zeeland East
Saturday, August 20