McClain’s boys soccer team advanced to the D II district tournament on Monday by virtue of a 9-0 home victory against the Westfall Mustangs.
The Tigers lit it up offensively as the ball zoomed around the pitch and six players scored nine goals against Westfall.
The first half of the match saw the Tigers pump in five goals as they constantly forced the ball down field on the Mustangs.
Braiden Bergstrom opened the scoring for McClain less than one minute into the tilt when he made a run towards the goal and received a beautiful pass from Brock Dean.
Reuben Montilla added the second goal a short time later after weaving his way through the defense.
Meanwhile Westfall was unable to mount any kind of offense as the Tigers swarmed them at every turn with a defensive front that refused to give way.
The third goal for the Tigers was netted by senior Avery Voss at the 11:13 mark of the first half and gave McClain a 3-0 lead.
Free punched in his first goal with just over a minute to go in the first half to add to the Tiger lead and further deflate the visiting Mustangs.
The Tigers’ relentless attack on Westfall produced another goal after just 32 seconds had expired singe the fourth goal. This one sailed through the air and past the Westfall keeper off the foot of Evan Hutchinson as Bergstrom split the defense with an excellent assist.
The second goal of the match for Free came at the 34:40 mark of the second half when Dean recorded his second assist of the night with a great assist in the box.
Nothing went right for the Mustangs on this night as they added the seventh goal for the Tigers when a Westfall defender deflected the ball into his own net.
McClain capped off the night with two goals from first half goalie Camden Yates at the 10:10 and 8:19 respectively. Yates was taken out of goal at the end of the first half and played the majority of the second half on the front line offensively.
McClain head coach Nick McNeil said, “The overall goal of the soccer season, to improve the team and make the team better. These boys have, they have worked hard to be better. Not only to be better as individuals, but they have really come a long way on is becoming better as a team.”
“The progress they have made, how well they have done this season and how they have turned this season around in the end makes me really proud of them….it should be a good game against Fairfield Union, I’m excited for that,” said McNeil.
The Tigers travel Fairfield Union on Thursday to take on the Falcons in the district quarter finals at 5:00 p.m.
Reach Ryan Applegate at 937-402-2572, or on Twitter @RCApplegate89.
