PREP SOCCER: Complete effort powers North

Sep. 28—With its back seemingly against the wall when it came to keeping postseason hopes alive, the North Medford boys soccer team put forth the kind of performance they have been waiting for all season Tuesday afternoon.

Powered by two of the prettiest goals the Black Tornado has scored this season and some new defensive tactics, North Medford was able to get back on the winning track with a 2-0 victory over Willamette at Hoffbuhr Field.

"I think the guys knew they have to get into the playoffs and these are the opportunities against top-15 teams where you have to deliver at some point," said North Medford head coach Michael Belzberg. "I told them when we played against South Medford that I was proud of them, and it was just really easy to say 'I'm proud of you guys.'

"We really came out today and played composed and I couldn't be more happy with them."

After starting the season 1-3 overall, North (4-4, 3-3 SWC) has won three of its last four matches, all by identical 2-0 scorelines.

The Black Tornado took a 1-0 lead six minutes into Tuesday's matchup, as junior Koby Ibarra was able to hit his free kick from just outside the penalty area over the wall and past the Willamette keeper.

"He's hit the post twice this season (on free kicks) and today he just composed himself and finished," said Belzberg. "We've been working on free kicks all day in training. We know that those free kicks are a big part of the game and we have to capitalize on them."

North doubled its lead in the 23rd minute thanks to a moment of pure individual skill from freshman Prince Thompson, who weaved his way through multiple Willamette defenders and then dispatched a final would-be tackler with a slick cut inside before finishing at the near post.

North's defense also came up big, holding arguably the SWC's hottest players scoreless.

Junior forward Ariel de Dios Cruz had been on a scoring binge for Willamette. He had three goals in a 5-0 win at Springfield on Sept. 20 and four goals in a 6-0 home win over South Medford on Saturday

But on Tuesday, North kept de Dios Cruz off the scoresheet in recording its fourth shutout of the season.

"I did some research on how you defend these kinds of individual phenoms and we used a kind of trap on (de Dios Cruz)," said Belzberg. "Jorge Moctezuma had the ask of really staying with him. He almost finished it, but he got really tired in the last 20 minutes. He really defended him man-to-man and really stayed with him, and when he had to slow him down the support was going to come. ... All the guys at the back just really, really buckled in."

SOUTH EUGENE 2, SOUTH MEDFORD 0: South Medford brought the pressure but South Eugene's size, speed and experience became a factor in the second half where the Axe scored both of their goals and grabbed the Southwest Conference triumph at South Medford High School.

Senior forward Alex Rodriguez played well and showed off his versatility as a striker and midfielder for the Panthers (4-3-1, 2-2-1 SWC), and defensively junior Felix Valenzuela and Steven Calvillo made it difficult for South Eugene (6-1, 5-0) to get quality shot opportunities.

Girls

NORTH MEDFORD 3, WILLAMETTE 1: At Eugene, North Medford sophomore Olivia Boger was able to complete her hat trick with a pair of second-half goals in the SWC victory.

Boger gave the Black Tornado (4-2-2, 3-1-2 SWC) the lead midway through the first half off an assist from senior midfielder Jordi Alftine.

The two combined again in the second half to give North the lead again after Willamette (5-3, 3-3) tied things up shortly after the restart. Boger then scored her third to give the Black Tornado some breathing room after a loose ball off a corner kick was unable to be cleared.

North keeper Margaret Hamlin finished with 10 saves, while freshman defenders Ava Markiewicz and Brycelin Endrikat had strong games in the center of the Tornado defense.

SOUTH MEDFORD 1, SOUTH EUGENE 0: At Eugene, junior forward Brooke Fairbanks scored the game's lone goal in the 50th minute to help South Medford end its short two-game losing skid.

Fairbanks — who scored the only goal for South (5-2-1, 2-2-1 SWC) in last Saturday's 2-1 loss to Willamette — worked a combination sequence with sophomore Avery Zahniser and then made a run into the box before slotting the pass from Zahniser home.

South keeper Eve Lynx finished with seven saves and controlled her penalty area well despite South Eugene (3-3-2, 2-2-2) having nine corner kicks in the game.

GRANTS PASS 2, CRATER 0: At Grants Pass, missing three starters, Crater was still able hang tough with Grants Pass through the half but the Cavers broke through after the intermission and got the edge in the nonconference affair.

The Comets (3-4-1) took a scoreless contest to halftime before the Cavers' attack became too much to hold off.

Crater junior goalkeeper Addison Vranes played well in-goal while freshmen wing Autumn Jackson was able to win her one-on-one matchups.

The win improved the Cavers' record to 2-4-2.