Timberlake crushes shorthanded Spartans

PRIEST RIVER — In their first match of the season, the Priest River boys soccer team lost to Timberlake 9-2 on Tuesday.

It wasn’t your typical soccer match. Each team had eight players on the field at a time because that’s all the Spartans have on their team. Despite the reduced numbers, the game still looked and felt the same.

Head coach Daryl Hall admitted its been difficult practicing with so few players but the team is giving it their all.

"They've been putting all their heart into it and been working really hard," he said. "Tonight I could see they were a little gassed, so I guess we're going to be running the rest of the week."

The Tigers surged out of the gates in the first half scoring four goals to take a commanding 4-0 lead at the break.

The Spartans had four shots on goal in the first 40 minutes including a dangerous free kick by junior Bradley Gleason, but were unable to find the back of the net.

Six minutes into the second half, Priest River finally broke through when junior Bowen Fegert laid off a pass to junior Shane Gamber in the midfield. Gamber did the rest to make the deficit 4-1.

But four minutes later, Timberlake responded to increase the lead to four goals again.

Fegert answered in the 55th minute when he drove to the middle of the box and buried a goal to make it 5-2.

The Tigers would score four goals after that tally by the Spartans to grab the victory.

Hall was proud of the Spartans effort early in the second half.

"They had the jitters," he said. "This was their first game so they relaxed a little bit and started playing. It was good."

Timberlake had 31 shots and Priest River notched nine. Luke Butler made 17 saves in net for the Spartans.

Priest River (0-1) heads to Immaculate Conception Academy at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

First half — 1, Timberlake, Cazwell McKenzie (Jacob Simpson), 11:00. 2, Timberlake, Gavin Mooney (Simpson), 15:00. 3, Timberlake, Mooney (Simpson), 26:00. 4, Timberlake, Nate Anderson (Travis Doty), 39:00. Second half — 1, Priest River, Shane Gamber (Bowen Fegert), 46:00. 5, Timberlake, Michael Simpson (Brendan Barry), 50:00. 2, Priest River, Fegert (unassisted), 55:00. 6, Timberlake, Eric Gray (Caleb Harris), 65:00. 7, Timberlake, Anderson (unassisted), 68:00. 8, Timberlake, Austin Wilson (Anderson), 69:00. 9, Timberlake, J. Simpson (unassisted), 71:00.

Shots — Priest River 9, Timberlake 31.

Saves — Priest River, Luke Butler, 17. Timberlake, Anderson 3, Mooney 4.