MEDFORD BOYS SOCCER

MEDFORD BOYS SOCCER

Medford’s boys soccer team started slowly after its long afternoon bus ride to Eagle River and host Northland Pines took advantage with two first-half goals which led to its 3-0 win over the Raiders Thursday in Great Northern Conference play.

Cody Vojta, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year in the GNC, scored both of the firsthalf goals for the Eagles, who got their first conference win of the season, while improving to 1-1 in the league and 2-1 overall.

Medford fell to 0-1-1, 0-2-2 and was left still searching for some offensive punch. The Raiders have scored two goals in four games.

“We played pretty much the same way we have all season so far,” head coach Adam Derr said. “We gave up a lot of shots and we’re having trouble passing the ball right now.”

The Eagles finished with 25 shots taken, 11 of which were on goal. Medford was held to eight shots, two of which were on goal.

Derr said while Medford did a much better job of getting shots (17) two nights earlier in a tie with Rhinelander, he felt there were times of improved ball movement and possession Thursday.

“There were periods of time, even more against Northland Pines than against Rhinelander, where we were able to string together eight to 10 passes at a time,” Derr said. “We’d get to about 10 and then it would fall apart. But that’s gotten better. Against Rhinelander we didn’t have that until late in the second half.”

Also looking for scoring punch this year, Pines moved Vojta up to a forward position this fall and, at least in Thursday’s game, it paid off. At 17:36 he was able to get behind the defense and got a one-on-one chance on Medford goalkeeper Cale Schulz and won it for the game’s first goal.

At 34:09, the Eagles got what Derr called a well-executed opportunity and Vojta finished it off with Jackson Oljeniczak getting credit for the assist.

“He’s a good all-around player,” Derr said of Vojta.

The Raiders had their best chances to score early in the second half, including one shot that hit the crossbar. Thoughts of a comeback then got crushed at 53:22 when a high-bouncing ball was missed by two Medford defenders and found its way to Sam Schrock, who then converted his breakaway chance.

“We allowed a lot of shots,” Derr said. “Cale saved our bacon more than once. He kept it close for us. We also had a couple of chances too.”

After a week off, Medford is back on the road and back on a grass field today, Thursday, visiting Antigo for an early 4 p.m. start. Medford hosts conference contender Lakeland Tuesday at 7 p.m. before heading to 2023 champion Mosinee on Sept. 19. That game also kicks off at 7 p.m.

“It’s been a tough start to the season,” Derr said. “Everybody has been playing hard, working hard. Hopefully those passes will start coming together.”