GOAL! The soccer team scores on the Adrian Maple Leafs and takes the win. The Chelsea Bulldogs boys soccer team (7-4) played against the Maple Leafs (8-6) on September 18. This game was the deciding factor in whether the Bulldogs would be in or out of the SEC.

After a previous 3-1 loss, the Bulldogs were ready for revenge and had high spirits during the pregame.

“They are a pretty good team, and with a lot of high-level players, it will for sure be a fight,” senior Tyler Cox said. “Especially with the team changing to a more comfortable formation, I think we will have a great game ahead of us.”

While the match was underway, the Bulldogs were playing very well on both sides of the ball. Both senior Brandon Butterfield scoring 1 and senior Jose Ortiz Martinez scoring 2 secured the win with a final score of 3-1, placing the Bulldogs back in the running for SEC champs. Something that stood out was the incredible defense and goaltending throughout the game, and senior goalie Shane McLaughlin would have to agree.

“The game was relatively easy for me,” McLaughlin said. “The whole team worked hard, and it paid off. The defense did very well and only allowed them to have a few shots on goal.”

On the other side of the field, the Bulldogs’ offense was also applying a lot of pressure to the Maple Leafs’ defense, and Martinez started to shine more and more throughout this game.

“It was a good game to get under our belts; the entire team played great,” Martinez said. “I was able to go out there and get two of my own goals to put us up by two early into the game.”

Junior Gus Wehrly also had a great game, using his technical ability to create offensive opportunities for the Bulldogs and cause defensive hiccups for the Maple Leafs.

“We played well, and we had a strong performance throughout the game,” Wehrly said. “Our wingers and strikers did a good job keeping their defense uncomfortable in their back third of the field.”

After the game, the whole team seemed ecstatic with their performance. Coach David Thoms was also satisfied with the outcome, knowing that the team played well.

“We had the bulk of the possession and shots on goal,” Thoms said. “After our first performance against them, losing 3-1, we are pretty happy to have this revenge story keeping us in and putting us one step closer to winning the SEC.”