Two more shut-outs for CL boys soccer team

More games, more shut outs for the Clear Lake boys soccer team.  The Lions blanked Humboldt and Webster City during the past week, stretching their defensive perfection to 10 games this season.

CL 3, Humboldt 0

The Lions made the most of Senior and Parents Night Thursday, topping Humboldt 3-0.

Ernie Miszewski got the scoring started for the Lions with a goal in the 13th minute.  The match was 1-0 at the half.  

Miszewki got the scoring going again in the 44th minute of the second half when he gathered a ball in front of the keeper off a pass from MJ Mixdorf.  Antonio DiMarco made a drive down the left side in the 59th minute and converted the shot for the the final score of the night.

“This night was about the 12 seniors: Jack Abbas, DiMarco, Alex Gonzalez, Carter Hand, Justin Jurgens, Garrett Kunzman, Sam LaKose, Chase Lester, Thai Phaiboun, Joe Schiller, Birk Shaikowski, and Jacob Welper,” said Coach Matt Anderson.  “This is a strong group of young men who have worked extremely hard and are completely deserving of the success this year has brought.”

What is most remarkable about the group, says the coach, is how everyone does their part.  

“Everyone would like to be a starter, everyone would like to be the person who scores the goals, everyone wants more minutes of playing time.  At the end of the day we’re building a program by how hard the non-starters push the starters at practice, the better the competition at practice the better the team.  At the conclusion of the Humboldt game I had seniors on the field, most of them in positions they’ve never played before, and a bench full of players standing up and cheering them on.  It was a remarkable sight!”

Winning the Boone Soccer Tournament, playing in the championship game at the Waverly Tournament, and a defensive unit which has not allowed a goal in the past 10 contests are new bench marks in Clear Lake soccer, stated Anderson.  

“They are setting a standard which will only help for years to come.”

Clear Lake 2 

Webster City 0

  The boys and their coaches were eager to get on the score board Monday night, May 19, after going into a shoot out with Webster City on May 6.   The opportunities came early and fast without converting any of them for goals in the first half.  The half ended 0-0.   

The second half started in similar fashion.  Several great attempts came up empty.  

In the 50th minute of the contest Ernie Miszewski took a shot on goal which went through the keeper’s hands and back in play.  Jack Finn gathered the ball and put it into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. 

In the 76th minute Antonio DiMarco converted a direct shot for the second and final goal of the night.  

Jacob Hogan spent 77 minutes in the goal box, recording four saves.   

The Lions are back at home on Thursday, May 22, against Mason City.  All North Iowa Soccer Club (NISC) players will be given free admission to this match if they wear their NISC soccer jersey to the game.

The Lions’ post season begins Tuesday, May 27.  Clear Lake will face Nevada in a 5:30 p.m. game to be played at Ames High School.