“Our day was a great one from a learning perspective. Our team is mixed with under and upperclassmen and today we learned a lot about ourselves. We had a great 8-0 win to start the day and an unfortunate 1-4 defeat in our house. We will learn from this and get stronger in training for Tuesday’s home game against Lehighton,” says Mitchell Lesh, #11 junior, and also one of the captains of the Pine Grove Area boys soccer team. The boys started out with an amazing win playing against St. Joe’s Academy. Within the first 5 minutes of this game, Lesh scored by dribbling up the side of the field and tapping it in, like it was nothing. Not even 3 minutes later, a header made by Cody Griffiths, #13 sophomore, led to an assist to his teammate, Bryce Webber, #18 junior, making the score 2-0.

Few shots were made by the opposing team, but when the ball got too close to our goalie’s Elijah Hoover, #90 senior, goal, he made good clears and kept the ball out of their side with the help from his defensive teammate, Logan Barr, #12 junior. Cameron Raudabaugh, #9 senior, also helped out defensively by using his speed, running down the middle of the field and stealing the ball back from the other team, getting it out of his side. After this, Bryce Webber, #18 junior, assisted Lesh for his 2nd goal of the game, making the score 3-0, Pine Grove still in the lead.

Three minutes later, Aaron Balmer, #21 sophomore, assisted Lesh on his third goal of the game. Under a minute later, Griffiths dribbles the ball through St. Joe’s Academy’s defense and takes a shot on goal. The opponent’s goalie saves the ball and punts it back into play. Hunter Deichert, #34 freshman, received the ball and ends the second half with a goal. This is Deichert’s first goal of the game and of his high school soccer career.

Going into the second half, Lesh makes the score 6-0 by making his first goal of the second half, fourth goal of the game. With only seven minutes left in the game, Ethan Hannevig, #17 freshman, takes a beautiful corner kick, launching it across St. Joe’s Academy’s goal. The ball went right to his teammate, Lesh, who takes the shot and makes the score 7-0. Lesh does not stop there. He ends the game with a header, making the final score 8-0, Pine Grove taking the win.

The next game the boys played was the championship game against Wilson. The opponent team took lead for the first half, score 0-2. In the beginning of the second half, Wilson made the score 0-3 with a penalty kick. About 15 minutes later, Pine Grove also receives a penalty kick. Webber takes it, scoring and making the score 1-3, Wilson still in the lead. After this goal, the game was stopped due to an injury involving one of Pine Grove’s players, Logan Barr, #12 junior. Barr was helped off the field because of a physical encounter involving his arm. With three minutes left in the game, Wilson scores, making the final score 1-4.

The winner of the Labor Day Tournament hosted by Pine Grove Area was Wilson. “The whole team did very well but there is a lot for us to improve upon. We have big goals set for this season and with me being senior captain, I need to make sure we all are giving our best, day in and day out,” says Cameron Raudabaugh, #9 senior, captain of the boys soccer team.