Wednesday's High Desert Soccer Conference boys' clash between Filer and The Community School wasn't just another game in the minds of the Cutthroat players—it was the start of their second season.
And the outcome was positive for coach Richard Whitelaw's Cutthroat boys (4-3-1, 3-3-1 league). They used two second-half goals by sophomore Mason Noyes to upset the Filer Wildcats 3-1 at Browning Field.
His teammates mobbed Noyes at the center of the field following the final whistle, as the Cutthroats equaled their league victory total from 2009 with five HDSC games left before the Oct. 9 league tourney.
Sharing Whitelaw's "Man of the Match" honor were Noyes and left back Calder Zarkos.
Whitelaw said, "We had played each team in our league once, and this game was the start of playing each team once more before the tournament. We wanted to start over. And it turned out to be our most exciting game of the season."
Host Filer (5-4-1, 4-2-1) had trounced the Cutthroats 5-0 in the Aug. 23 season opener. The Wildcats are bouncing back from a 1-15-2 season and that victory was the first-ever for Filer over the Cutthroat boys.
Things were quite different and much closer Wednesday.
Led by junior keeper and co-captain Tom Crosby (7 saves) and sophomore sweeper Zach Lindahl, the Cutthroat defense limited Filer to a 0-0 halftime tie. With Eric Runkel sidelined, Lindahl, Colin Waycott and Zarkos were the defenders in Whitelaw's 3-5-2 alignment.
Cooper Hanley, Cameron Jenner and Cassidy Carson have provided the Cutthroats with toughness and speed in the middle of the field since August. And the booming goal kicks of Crosby and Lindahl have freed up the forwards to put pressure on the defense.
The Cutthroats (an 8-0 edge in corner kicks) scored first on an own goal after a corner kick by junior co-captain Tim Kanellitsas at 61 minutes. Filer forward Ago Alvarado equalized with a top-corner blast from 18 yards at 67 minutes.
Noyes, summoned off the bench for speed up front early in the second half, went to work chasing back-to-back booming goal kicks by Crosby and Lindahl. Noyes punched home the eventual game winner with the side of his foot at 71 minutes. He added insurance on a similar chase at 77.
The Cutthroats host Twin Falls (2-3-3) Saturday, Sept. 18 at 11 a.m. and visit Wendell Monday. Wendell, a 4-0 home winner over the Fish Aug. 25, most recently has beaten Gooding 3-2 and Snake River 3-0.