BROOKINGS – The Bobcats got off to a fast start in their home opener and held on down the stretch for a 4-2 Eastern South Dakota Conference boys’ soccer victory over Watertown on Tuesday evening at Fishback Soccer Park.
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BROOKINGS – The Bobcats got off to a fast start in their home opener and held on down the stretch for a 4-2 Eastern South Dakota Conference boys’ soccer victory over Watertown on Tuesday evening at Fishback Soccer Park.
Brookings scored three times in the first half and led 4-0 early in the second.
“I think our young boys had to step up a little bit – our freshmen kids – especially in the second half when we faced a little pressure after they got two goals,” said BHS coach Steve Binkley. “We kind of saw that the game before against Roosevelt – they came back after we got a big lead and we couldn’t quite hold it. So it was good to see some more composure this time. … It was good to see them kind of hold together those last 20 minutes.”
Mohamed Ismail scored on an assist from Brayden Mallett just 76 seconds into the match.
Daniyil Potapenko netted the first of his two goals in the 25th minute. Michael Holms assisted.
Crystian Sanchez’s header found the back of the net in the 35th minute. The goal came following a corner kick by Mallett, who was credited with the assist.
Potapenko made it 4-0 with a goal in the 43rd minute, as Isaac Conrad assisted.
“I felt like we got a little too complacent,” Binkley said when asked about the fast start. “So the next 15 (minutes) were frustrating because I think the guys knew that we could score, but we weren’t doing it.
“After we got the second and third (goals), I think we settled in really well. We had really good shape after that, but then the game kind of fell the other way the last 20 minutes or so. But like I said, we had to sub some guys in. We put Isaac Conrad into the back line and he did well as an upperclassmen to give them some shape.”
Watertown’s Dawnson Tschakert scored in the 50th minute and Jayden Fiechtner added a goal in the 54th minute to cut the deficit to 4-2; but the Bobcats prevailed down the stretch.
Carson Fox and Cam Rumpza each had an assist for the Arrows.
Brookings’ Blake Brettschneider earned the win in goal after making 10 saves. Watertown’s Braden Bury finished with 14 saves.
Brookings (1-0-1), which played to a 3-3 draw at Sioux Falls Roosevelt on Saturday, plays host to Huron on Monday at 6 p.m.
Watertown (0-2-0) plays host to Aberdeen Central on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
