Byron boys’ soccer loses 2; K-M wins 1

 
Byron boys’ soccer ends week with a pairof losses
After starting the season with a win, the Byron boy’s soccer team has dropped three straight. Tuesday night, August 29, the team hosted Stewartville in an HVL Conference game. Despite outshooting the Tigers, 17-4, it was the shot by Caleb Hanse that put Stewartville in the lead for good and secured the 1-0 victory. Stewartville’s GK Brecken Rester was outstanding in stopping many Byron attacks. Byron has historically had a strong defending effort from the backline group (Ethan Hearn, Braydon Olson and Braeden Miner), but they have been a bit latent in creating good goal-scoring chances of late.
Things did not improve on Friday night, September 1, when the team traveled to Inver Grove Heights to take on Two Rivers High School. The Warriors are one of the top teams in Class AA, so the game was destined to provide a good challenge. Just 17 seconds into the contest, Two Rivers jumped to the lead on a picked-off Byron pass that was near the goal, and they converted for the 1-0 lead. Twelve minutes in, Jaxon Boynton converted a penalty kick, created when one of the Bears was taken down inside the Two Rivers’ penalty box.
That lead was short lived as Two Rivers converted a scrum in front of the Byron goal, to take a 2-1 advantage. That score held, resulting in another 1 goal loss for the Bears. Byron’s record is now 1-3 with all three losses by 1 goal. “We have to find a way to fight through these low scoring games and impose our game plan, or the season will be a struggle,” said Coach Dave Bahr. Ethan Hearn made his debut as GK and stopped 13 shots, but Byron could only find five chances.
KoMets soccer boys roll along
It’s early in the soccer circuit, but the Kasson-Mantorville boys team is looking in mid-season form already. Keeping their unblemished mark intact, the KoMets over-powered STEM Academy, 9-1, on Wednesday, August 30, at home. “I was proud of the boys today, especially considering that the STEM Academy was a new opponent against whom we’ve had no past experience,” remarked Coach Shawn Bromelkamp.
 
KM Stats: Lars Ingram 1 goal; Gideon Ellinghysen 1 goal; Caleb Mecham 1 goal; Triton athlete Miguel Martinez 3 goals, 1 assist; Sawyer Bendickson 2 goals, 2 assists; Triton athlete Emanuel Ascencio 1 goal, 1 assist. Goalie Lars Ingram, 2 saves. In the second half, Ingram was replaced at keeper by Branson Bernatz (sophomore). Ingram then saw time on the field as a midfielder and scored 1 goal.