Outlaws shut down Elmira on the soccer pitch

The Outlaws started their week with an 8-0 shutout at home against Elmira on Tuesday, September 22, and rolled to a 3-1 win at Junction City two days later.

In Tuesday's game against Elmira, Jadon Bachtold, Malachy Sundstrom, and Domingo Monterola paced the Outlaws with two goals each.

Bachtold started the scoring frenzy in the ninth minute of play, when he beat several defenders from the left side for an unassisted goal. Six minutes later, Sundstrom created a defensive error with great pressure up top, and then sunk the ball in the upper left corner for the score.

Sisters scored three more goals in the last five minutes of the first half. The first of the three came when Alec Gannon rounded the right corner and crossed a grounder to Seth Larson for the goal. Sean Willitts followed with a goal on a pass to the middle from Domingo Monterola. In the final minute, Minam Craven took possession, passed the ball to Gannon, who sent it over to Bachtold who was wide open. Jadon went one-on-one with the goalie, scored, and pushed the Outlaws to a 5-0 lead at the half.

Sisters scored three additional goals in the second half. Bachtold assisted Steen Johnson for a shot to the left side in the 46th minute, and one minute later Keegan Greaney assisted Sundstrom for a breakaway goal down the middle.

Monterola scored the Outlaws' final goal with 14 minutes remaining on the clock. Sundstrom assisted Domingo, who went one-on-one with the keeper for the score.

Sundstrom shared his thoughts on the game with The Nugget.

"We came out with some good energy and were able to put in some early goals, which boosted our energy even more," said Sundstrom. "We really worked well as a team, and it was great to see some guys score their first varsity goals, which shows it was a well-rounded team effort."

Domingo had two goals off the bench, and Seth Larson and Steen Johnson both put pressure on the Elmira defense.

Coach Rob Jensen said, "It was hard to tell how we played, as there was not much defensive pressure. The guys passed the ball around well, and everyone got involved. Our defense didn't really allow any shots on goal that were dangerous, and our offense was a constant threat."

On Thursday, two days later, the Outlaws secured their third straight league win in a tight contest at Junction City. Sundstrom had a great first-half for Sisters, was full of energy, and was involved in all three of the Outlaws' goals.

Sundstrom scored Sisters' first goal in the 13th minute of play, and one minute later he rounded the corner on the right side, and assisted Sean Willitts for the goal.

With 10 minutes left in the first half, Sundtrom took the ball from the defense, broke through numerous defenders, and scored to give Sisters a 3-0 advantage. The Tigers scored in the final five minutes of the contest on a scramble at the edge of the 18-yard mark.

Jensen said, "We had some illnesses, injuries, and overall adversity to overcome. It was a great learning experience, and the kids battled hard. Junction City is always a tough place to play, and the kids just had to grind it out."

Sisters was to play at home against Cottage Grove on Tuesday, September 29. The Outlaws will play at home against Sutherline on Thursday.