BFHS boys’ soccer riding five-game unbeaten streak
Photo by Victor Martinez
BONNERS FERRY — With a 1-1 draw against Coeur d’Alene Charter on Monday evening, the Bonners Ferry High School boys’ soccer team extended its season-long unbeaten streak to five games.
The Badgers (4-0-1) suffered a bit of a let down on the road against a Panthers (1-2-2) team that has won a single game this season. Bonners Ferry’s lone goal was scored by sophomore forward Nick Eastman and assisted by senior forward Daniel Walker.
Playing on turf for the first time this season at the Real Life Ministries soccer complex in Post Falls, Bonners Ferry took a bit too long to adjust to the different playing surface and missed a prime opportunity to extend its winning streak to five games.
“This was easily one of our more poor performances this year,” said Badgers head coach Brycen Lunger. “It's tough, first time on turf, and it’s just a different game when you hit turf versus grass. As a team, we are not using turf as an excuse, though; we saw a lot of our weaknesses and it’s just going to make us better as a team.”
Just two days before, Bonners Ferry road tripped east to Montana and beat Stillwater Christian. On the back of a hat trick by Eastman, two assists from Walker, and a helper by sophomore Seth Rice, the Badgers beat Stillwater Christian 3-1.
“The guys played great for not having a single practice outside all week due to smoke,” Lunger said. “Still being able to play a hard game with no practice outside was an awesome sight.”
In its two other September games, BFHS dominated the competition, thrashing Priest River 6-0 at home and soundly beating Stillwater Christian 6-2. Walker scored nine goals across the two games, and five different players contributed assists.
On the back end, senior goalkeeper Joshua Beazer has been rock solid in net, turning away six shots in the 6-2 win over Stillwater Christian and five apiece in the most recent Stillwater Christian win and the Coeur d’Alene Charter draw.
As a team, the Badgers were led offensively in September by Walker and Eastman, who tallied nine and six goals, respectively, while Walker also chipped in three assists, and Eastman contributed two helpers.
The Bonners Ferry’s boys’ soccer team’s next game is a home game on Friday, Sept. 25 at 2 p.m. vs. Grangeville for Senior Night.