MONTICELLO – The Willmar boys soccer team opened the 2024 season with a 0-0 tie against Monticello.
Monticello had 11 shots. Willmar had nine.
“I thought it was good for a first game,” Willmar head coach Jeff Winter said. “We kind of got through the first half and I think we gave them a little bit of a hard time in the second half.”
Winter said they had two good chances to score in the second half.
“It was really a close game,” Winter said. “It was probably the best Monticello team we’ve seen in the last five years.”
Winter pointed to the play of Luis Gomez-Alvarado in goal. The second-grader started because third-grader Nehemiah Van Horne was out with a wrist injury.
“Luis did a great job,” said Winter.
Willmar opens Central Lakes Conference play at 1 p.m. Saturday in Brainerd.
Willmar (0-0-1)…………….. 0 0 — 0
Monticello (0-0-1)………………. 0 0 — 0
FIRST HALF – No goals
SECOND HALF – No goals
Shots on goal – G: 9. M: 11
GOALKEEPER SAVES – Willmar: Luis Gomez-Alvarez… Monticello: Goalkeeper, saves
Willmar head coach Madeline Wertish was encouraged by her team’s opening loss at Monticello.
“We did well,” Wertish said. “We played much better than we did against them last year.”
Wertish pointed to the play of center backs Jeniffer Padilla-Guevara and Isabella Paulson. Padilla-Guevara is in her senior year, Paulson in her second year.
“They both played really well,” Wertish said.
The Cardinals’ next game is Thursday at 7 p.m. against Brainerd in Willmar’s home opener.