Southwestern Boys & Girls Open Soccer Seasons With Wins

The fall soccer season is underway in Section 6, and both the boys and girls varsity squads for Southwestern started the season strong, recording victories on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

### Southwestern Boys Soccer vs Frewsburg

The boys recorded a 3-1 triumph on the road against the Frewsburg Bears Wednesday afternoon, while the girls defeated the Maple Grove Red Dragons with a 5-0 shutout victory at Charles A. Lawson Field on Thursday night. For the boys’ varsity team, under 6th year head coach Jason Deering, their start was not exactly ideal.

“The first half, we didn’t play where I wanted to be playing,” he said. Frewsburg struck just five minutes in with a beautiful strike from roughly 35 yards out that sailed into the top left corner to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Southwestern would create plenty of chances throughout the first half but ultimately were not able to capitalize, and Frewsburg sat with a 1-0 lead at halftime.

“After getting on them at half and making a couple of adjustments and personnel changes, and trying to get them motivated a bit, they came out better,” said Coach Deering.

Nolan Froah would score just three minutes into the second half to tie the game after a great individual effort to break through the Frewsburg defense. Moments later, Jaxson Faulk received a beautiful cross feed pass out of the corner from Anthony Pratt that he deposited into the net to give the Trojans a 2-1 lead. A Frewsburg own goal late in the game gave the Trojans a 3-1 lead, and they would hold the Bears to that score to secure the victory.

### Southwestern Girls Soccer vs Maple Grove

On Thursday night, the Lady Trojans took to the new turf at Charles A. Lawson Field for the first time and hit the ground running against Maple Grove.

After two early scoring chances by Ellie Pearson and Lexi Lundmark, Heidi Swan-Leuze received a pass from Lundmark that she was able to fire into the net to give Southwestern a 1-0 lead eleven minutes in.

The Lady Trojans continued to control the pace through much of the first half, and with less than six minutes to go, they scored again as Kaylyn Carnes sent a feed into the box that deflected off Maple Grove goalkeeper Courtney Martin, and freshman Lucy Brown was able to put the ball into the open net to give the hosts a 2-0 lead going into halftime.

The Trojans started off the second half quick, as they got a flurry of chances before Swan-Leuze picked up her second goal of the game after a beautiful pass from Carnes that she was able to carry in stride and fire into the net to give Southwestern a 3-0 lead.

“Being my second year on varsity, it felt great to be able to just get a goal, and then be able to score a second, too,” said Swan-Leuze. “We worked great together as a team.”

Lexi Lundmark would add to her earlier assist by receiving a pass from Brown that she would tap into the net for her first goal of the season to give the Trojans a 4-0 lead just seven minutes into the second half.

Eighth grader Makenna Johnson would collect her first goal of the season in the 64th minute to give the Trojans a 5-0 lead, and they would hold that score to the final horn.

Swan-Leuze received player of the game honors with her two goals.

### Next Up For Southwestern Soccer Teams

For the boys’ varsity soccer team, their second game of the season is their home opener on September 2nd at 4:30 PM against cross-town rival Falconer/Cassadaga Valley.

The girls will have the task of hosting three-time defending Section VI Class C Champion Frewsburg Bears on Saturday night at 7:00 PM back at Charles A Lawson Field.