Don’t look now, but the CommunitySchool boys’ soccer team has been miserly on defense through four games and finds itself tied for the lead in the seven-team High Desert Soccer 3A Conference.
On Tuesday, coach Richard Whitelaw’s Cutthroats traveled down to Gooding (1-1-2) and throttled the 2009 State 3A champions 4-1 behind two goals by Ben Kanellitsas and single scores by Eric Runkel (first varsity goal) and Will Brokaw.
Whitelaw said, “It was an impressive performance.”
It snapped a six-game Cutthroat winless streak dating back to 2008 in games played against the Senators. The Cutthroats led 2-1 at halftime.
Whitelaw’s “Man of the Match” was senior midfielder Tim Kanellitsas. Senior goalkeeper Tom Crosby made 12 saves. The outcome meant the Cutthroat defense, having allowed 41 goals in 16 games last season, has yielded only three in the first four contests of 2011.
Thumped by state tournament qualifier Gooding 4-0 and 4-1 last fall, the 2011 Cutthroats turned the tables and left Gooding on Tuesday with an unbeaten record of 2-0-2 (2-0-1 league). Only Buhl (2-0-2) has as good a HDSC record so far.
The Cutthroats, aiming for one of three automatic berths out of the HDSC for the State 3A tournament Oct. 20-22 in Caldwell, have a better sense about their chances after playing Filer at home Thursday.
Filer (2-2-0, 2-1-0) lost at Buhl 4-0 last week, but the Wildcats boast a 2-1 win over reigning State 3A champ Wendell and a narrow 2-1 loss to 4A Jerome. The Cutthroats host Canyon Ridge on Saturday at 11 a.m. and go to Wendell on Tuesday.
Cutthroat girls romp 14-0
Nine different Cutthroats scored goals Tuesday, guiding coach Kelly Feldman’s Sun Valley girls to a 14-0 romp over the host Gooding Senators in High Desert Soccer action. It was the fourth straight win for the Cutthroats (4-2-0, 3-1-0 league).
Sophomore Whitney Engelmann, who tallied 10 goals last fall, returned from an injury and led the way with a four-goal offensive effort. Scoring two goals apiece were Gabi Perenchio and Hannah Dies. Singles came from Katie Feldman, Hailey Rheinschild, Ellie Swanson, Ella Marks, Taylor Figge and Noe Garing.
The Cutthroats resumed league action Thursday at home against the Filer Wildcats (2-3, 2-2), a recent 2-1 loser to unbeaten league leader Buhl (4-0-0). Feldman’s squad hosts 4A Canyon Ridge of Twin Falls on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Elkhorn.
