MANISTEE – Facing the No. 10 ranked team in division three wasn’t the ideal matchup for Hart boys soccer in the district semifinals Tuesday, Oct. 15. Neither was the consistent flow of wind gusts directly into their net.
Both of those factors combined to devastating effect for the Pirates as they fell to Elk Rapids, 3-0.
A brutal wind blowing from the south end of the field figured to pose a challenge for whoever ended up in the north net. That team ended up being Hart, forcing them to exert a great deal of energy in the first half.
That advantage kept the ball on Hart’s defensive side of the field for the majority of the game. That turned into plenty of scoring opportunities for the Elks, including a shot that found the back of the net just two minutes into play.
“The whole game plan we had pretty much went out the window when (Elk Rapids) was attacking with the wind first. We were looking to trap them at a couple key spots and make that work for us,” Hart Head Coach Joe Gilbert said. “As soon as they had the wind they could just send it with their speed and go forward. How we held there was spectacular.”
Despite allowing that initial goal, Hart’s defense tightened up. Senior Carter Ramseyer was his typical dominant self, clearing balls away and even making runs up the field by himself. Junior keeper Miguel Escamilla also notched a handful of saves to keep the game within reach heading into the half.
The Pirates hoped that the wind at their back in the second half would give them more opportunities. It did, but Elk Rapids didn’t lose a step, forcing Hart to chase.
“Elk Rapids was able to just turn the screw,” Gilbert said.”We played so well in the first half, but I told the guys that typically the team that’s chasing is going to play really hard for the first 10 (minutes).Then, the leading team takes some time to adjust, but if there’s no score, they can just start controlling the game.”
The Elks added two more goals in the second half, giving them a commanding lead and eliminating the Pirates from postseason play.
“What (this group of seniors) has done is way more than just establish a good program,” Gilbert said. “They’ve played better soccer than Hart had been playing and they’ve established a culture of guys that want to fight for perfection. “
Hart ended the season at 12-9 overall.
