Cda Stings Osprey For Title

The Coeur d’Alene Sting might as well have been a solid rock wall Memorial Day.

Goalkeeper Barret Schwerin and sweeper Jeffrey Wagner were the cornerstones as the Sting defense shut out the Osprey 1-0 in the U-16 boys championship soccer match at the Idaho State Cup finals.

About 120 umbrella-toting fans watched the Boise/Meridian team plaster 30 shots on the Sting, all of which were deflected.

Osprey coach R.C. Rakow said he was surprised the Sting were successful at “packing the box” to curtail the Osprey’s relentless offensive assault.

Sting coach Dan Hogan agreed, except for the part about being surprised. Hogan said he knew the Osprey’s offense was aggressive, but the Sting had been playing great defense since the beginning, allowing just two goals in the tourney.

“The Osprey are a great team,” Hogan said. “We knew we were going to be playing much more defense than we usually do.”

The Sting played rather passive offense, but broke the scoreless deadlock in the 33rd minute at Lake City’s Irma Anderl Complex. George Cary scored from just outside the 6-yard-mark on a side-volley rebound. Teammate Levi Link’s shot bounced off the top post to Cary following a corner kick from Mark Landers.

“I ran near post and boxed out,” said Cary, whose goal earned the Sting a state title and a berth in the Far West Regionals.

Schwerin, 16, had more than his hands full, making 17 saves, 10 of them under second-half pressure. Wagner, an Olympic Developement Player, defined his sweeper position, clearing balls that possibly would have been blown in by a brisk wind.

“Too many,” Wagner said, referring to the too-close-for-comfort shots by the Osprey.

“I couldn’t be more happy with our defense than I am right now,” Schwerin said.

Main weapon in the Osprey arsenal is striker Luke Christian, who plays on national and regional agegroup select teams.

It was well known by the Sting that Christian is the man the Osprey go to.

“I was just trying to tell my guys to stay tight,” said Wagner, who had played on a team with Christian and knew his style. “I was keeping an eye on him. I knew he was a threat.”

Christian’s threats emerged early and often. In the first minutes, Christian received a pass for a shortlived, one-on-one with Schwerin. Schwerin dove and blocked the shot 3 yards out, sending Christian flailing over him.

Christian also had several head-in attempts, not missing by much. The win improved the Sting to 8-0-1 and marked the first state championship for Hogan. All in just the few weeks the team has been together since the end of the high school season.

“It was the whole team,” said Hogan. “If they asked for an MVP, I don’t think I could pick.”

All championship matches in the 183-game tournament were held at either the Irma Ander Complex or Canfield Middle School.

All state champions will travel to Albuquerque June 22-27 for the Far West Regional Tournament.

In other boys’ championship matches reported:

U-19, Boise Nationals 2, Sandpoint Striker 0 in overtime. Joe Debrange and Eric Yeager score for the Nationals.

U-18, unavailable.

U-17, Boise Capitals 2, Boise Nationals 1.

U-15, Boise Nationals 2, Boise Capitals 1, overtime shootout. Nationals won with the seventh shot in the second shootout.

U-14, Boise Nationals 3, Coeur d’Alene Sting 1.

U-13, Sandpoint 2, Boise Capitals 1.

U-12, Boise Capitals 1, Meridian/ Boise Osprey 0.

Girls divisions

U-18, Les Bois 4, PVSC United 1.

U-17, unavailable.

U-16, Boise Capitals 3, Les Bois 2.

U-15, Les Bois 4, Boise Capitals 2.

U-14, Boise Capitals 3, Les Bois 1.

U-13, Unavailable.

U-12, Boise Capitals 1, Coeur d’Alene Sting 0.