It's starting to look like something special is happening with the young Community School girls' soccer team.
Coach Kelly Feldman's Cutthroats dominated a decent Buhl squad Wednesday with a 3-0 High Desert Soccer Conference win at Elkhorn's Sagewillow Farms that wasn't nearly as close as the final score.
Sophomore Ellie Swanson (12 goals) scored twice and freshman midfielder Katie Feldman tallied her first goal.
It was the fifth straight win for the league-leading Cutthroats (5-1-0, 4-0-0 league, 31-12 goals-against) heading into today's 4:30 p.m. clash with Declo (2-3-1, 2-2-0) at Sagewillow.
On a breezy and overcast Wednesday, the aggressive Cutthroats outshot Buhl 27-5 and put 18 shots right on target. If it wasn't for Buhl junior goalkeeper Chelsea Cress (20 saves), the score would have been much more lopsided.
Coach Feldman said, "Buhl's keeper was excellent and they have players who can kick the ball really well. Although our finishing wasn't there today, we played well—and our defense played its best game."
Cutthroat defenders Emma Wilander, Kelly Hennessy, Hailey Rheinschild and Erin Hennessy made sure the Tribe made no inroads on Sun Valley keeper Ella Marks in the first half. The Cutthroats attacked every ball and won everything.
They even got the early lead when Swanson left-footed a ball into the corner just 52 seconds into the 80-minute contest.
Keeper Taylor Figge (4 saves) replaced Marks in the second half and saw more action. But there was no Tribe comeback because of two quick Cutthroat goals in the 46th and 51st minutes for a 3-0 lead.
Shortly after Swanson hit the crossbar after a fine cross from Freya Dickey, the Cutthroats kept up the pressure and freshman right wing Jordan Fitzgerald popped a pass to Katie Feldman at the top of the box. Feldman turned and fired a winner with her left foot, 2-0.
Feldman, from midfield, started the attack on the third and final goal with an outlet to Fitzgerald on the flank. Fitzgerald (4 goals) gave the ball to freshman Hannah Dies (5 goals), who drilled a shot off the side post. Swanson was there for the rebound and finish.
Swanson, who had scored seven goals against Bliss Sept. 3, had numerous scoring chances against Buhl. "Although Ellie couldn't finish as well, she played one of her best games," said coach Feldman.
Buhl (4-2-0, 3-2-0 league) started its season with four wins and then fell at Filer 2-0 Sept. 1 and to the Cutthroats 3-0. Filer (4-1-0, 3-1-0), a 4-2 home loser to the Cutthroats Aug. 23, visits Bliss today, Friday.
TCS travels to Gooding (1-4-0) on Monday, Gooding having lost at Declo 2-1 Wednesday.
TCS boys tie Buhl 1-1 in rain
Despite a healthy dose of mountain rain, there was a very exciting High Desert Soccer Conference contest between two well-matched teams Wednesday at Browning Field.
The Community School (2-2-1, 1-2-1 league) battled the visiting Buhl boys to a 1-1 tie.
Cutthroat coach Richard Whitelaw's "Man of the Match" Tim Kanellitsas put the home team on the board, burying a shot from the 35-yard-line at the 10-minute mark for a 1-0 lead. Whitelaw said, "It was a great goal. Tim looked up, cracked it and it went in."
Buhl's Gustavo Magana equalized in the 37th minute, playing with a man advantage after a Cutthroat player was sent off for a yellow card.
Things seem to be looking up for the Cutthroats, now unbeaten in three games. Whitelaw said, "We had the better chances at the end. Buhl is a good team. They handle the ball well. Now we are starting to play a bit. We're getting people back and getting healthy. I am feeling pretty optimistic."
Junior midfielder Cassidy Carson, recovering from ankle surgery, saw his first minutes of the season and seemed in perfect rhythm with the team.
"Having Cassidy back changes the dynamic and makes us a better team," Whitelaw said.
Keeper Tom Crosby (10 saves) made the save of the season, a diving one-handed stab on a point-blank Tribe shot from 10 yards. Buhl left with a 1-2-2 record (1-1-2 league).
The Cutthroats host Declo today, Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Browning Field and visit defending State 3A champ Gooding on Monday. Gooding (4-1-0) won at Declo 6-1 Wednesday.
Community School junior Tim Kanellitsas, shown here striking a ball during the Aug. 25 home game against Wendell, scored the only Sun Valley goal in Wednesday’s 1-1 home draw with Buhl. Photo by David N. Seelig
