EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville's boys soccer team got a good win against one of the better programs in Illinois at SIU-Edwardsville's Ralph Korte Stadium/Bob Guelker Field Saturday afternoon, getting a pair of goals from Alec Mills and one from Ethan Miracle as the Tigers defeated Normal West 3-1.
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EHS went to 9-1-1 on the year with the win.
“It's a hot day and we're playing a really great program with Normal West,” said Tiger coach Mark Heiderscheid. “We did a very workman-like job; we didn't hardly have a foul, the kids connected the ball very, very well, they followed the path that was designed for them in terms that we keep everything controlled - the first half especially, I couldn't be any happier with the workman-like way they went ahead and connected the ball and created chances, finished on a number of them we did create. It was just an enjoyable, pretty game to watch.”
That the Wildcats scored on Tiger goalkeeper Alex Kehrer in the 77th minute to ruin his chances of getting a clean sheet for the day did nothing to dismay Heiderscheid's happiness with his team's effort on the day. “It was a little bit of a bummer for Alex that he didn't keep the clean sheet,” Heiderscheid said. “He worked really hard and I could have rotated him, but I thought, 'let's see if Alex can go ahead and get a pat on the back with that one.'
“He was so close; it was just one of those things. He did a great job for us today; it was just one of those things at the end of the game where it was important that we keep everything under control; if we give up a goal, we give up a goal.”
The goals Mills and Miracle scored were the result of just hard work. “There's no question they're two of the best in the business,” Heiderscheid said. “They knock it around so effectively; they were just fantastic. Kyle (Wright, who had an assist on the day) did such a good job of connecting the dots.
“The important thing is we (got the win) and mostly the kids stayed very disciplined; that is our prime directive for the rest of the year.”
Mills' first goal came from a Daniel Hentz free kick in the seventh minute; the ball bounced to Mills and all he had to do was tuck it into the back of the net to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead early; his second goal came off a feed from Wright in the 33rd minute, while Miracle's goal came off a Bayne Noll helper in the 56th minute. The Wildcats got one past Kehrer in the 77th minute when Alec McGinnis found an opening and tapped a shot past Kehrer to end the chances for the shutout.
The Tigers head to Creve Coeur, Mo., for a 5 p.m. Monday match against DeSmet before heading to Normal for a 1:30 p.m. Sept. 23 match against Normal Community.
Mills, Miracle goals help Edwardsville get past Normal West at SIUE
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