The two-time defending boys’ state champions from Hailey score goals
and win their soccer games with ease.
But Wood River High School’s sparkling 10-0 record and 62-6 goals
differential in boys’ soccer this season don’t mean the Wolverines are sitting
on their laurels and taking their 23-game unbeaten streak for granted.
They’re still working hard to do things right and polish their skills
and teamwork for the challenges to come, coach Brian Daluiso feels.
Daluiso was pleased with Wood River’s team effort in last week’s
5-0 and 10-0 home triumphs over Jerome and Buhl—two wins that wrapped up an unbeaten
2000 home campaign at South Valley Sports Complex.
"We’ve been working on a lot of things," said Daluiso.
"We want to come out hard right away, and we did that against both
Jerome and Buhl. I liked the way we moved the ball and the overlapping we did out there.
We had some great goals against Jerome and Buhl."
On Thursday, Wood River hosted an A-1 Division II Jerome squad that had
rallied from a 7-1 deficit to a 7-7 tie at Blackfoot just 24 hours before.
Weathering a mild flurry by Jerome just after halftime, Wood River
extended its 2-0 halftime lead and blanked the Tigers 5-0. The Wolverines outshot Jerome
21-5.
Top scorer Jason Southward (31 goals in 10 games) put Wood River on the
board with two outstanding individual efforts at 15 and 19 minutes. He wound up with three
goals, and hit the post two other times.
Midfielder Vince Nagashima nixed Jerome’s comeback hopes by scoring
the all-important third goal, a nice shot into the corner on a play created by James
Cimino. It was Nagashima’s first-ever varsity goal.
Then, Nagashima rushed over to take a corner kick 28 minutes into the
second half. Jess Kiesel usually takes Wood River’s corners, but Nagashima made good
on his, lifting a kick that Will McNeal headed into the net.
A centering pass by Robert Slough and some nice hustle by Mike Spaulding
set up Wood River’s fifth and final goal—a one-timer backwards flick by
Southward that soared over the Jerome keeper’s head.
"That was a neat goal," said Daluiso about Southward’s hat
trick. "We didn’t finish well against Jerome but I was still pleased with our
play."
Wood River’s 10-0 home finale victory against Buhl Saturday ended up
with senior striker Southward scoring at least three goals in a game for the ninth time in
10 contests—and senior co-captain McNeal notching his first-ever three-goal hat
trick.
Southward, who has developed his passing skills, set up Wood River’s
first two goals. After Spaulding scored the first of his two goals giving Wood River a 1-0
lead, Southward’s cross gave co-captain Kiesel a chance to put home a full volley.
"Our best goal of the season," Daluiso declared.
Nagashima added a single goal for Wood River (6-0 league, 7-0 home).
Wood River will play the rest of its games on the road, starting Saturday,
Oct. 7 with a high noon clash against A-1 Division 1 Hillcrest at Idaho Falls. It’s a
game that wasn’t on the original schedule, but a challenge that Wood River wanted.
Daluiso said, "The guys had to vote on whether they wanted to play
the Hillcrest game, since it’s on the four-day teacher in-service weekend. They
definitely wanted to play."
Wood River travels to Gooding Monday, Oct. 9 for a league game against
ISDB then hopes to nail down the league’s top seed into the state tourney with a win
over The Community School in Ketchum Oct. 11.
