BEMIDJI — A trusty wingman can make all the difference.
The Bemidji High School boys soccer team had helping hands all across the Bemidji Middle School field on Tuesday, and it was their selflessness that led into a 5-0 win over Detroit Lakes.
“It’s called the beautiful game for a reason,” BHS head coach Rick Toward said. “It’s always the build-up. The finish is just the icing on the cake.”
On all five Lumberjack goals—which included a hat trick from Jacob Stanoch—the finish was the easy part thanks to solid assists that created the openings.
In the fifth minute, Reed Johnson headed in a beautiful cross from Bo Hofstad. Four minutes later, Isaac Stone won a ball at midfield and turned it into a cross destined for Stanoch, who buried with ease for a quick 2-0 lead.
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And while Stone entered the game as Bemidji’s leading scorer this season, he readily admitted there’s a satisfying thrill that comes when setting up a teammate for glory.
“They all count no matter who scores it,” Stone said. “It’s always fun scoring goals. But when you’re on the assisting end too, it’s great seeing your teammates jump for joy when they score.”
Brady Riley got in on the assisting act in the 24th minute. He stole a ball away from a Laker along the touchline, then raced downfield before finding Stanoch for a wide-open finish near the goal line.
The halftime break didn’t slow them down, either.
In the 43rd minute, Stanoch completed his hat trick at the post with a tap-in goal. And while Stanoch benefited from the receiving end, Stone made it happen with another unselfish dish. The same could be said for Hofstad’s goal in the 60th minute, as Riley’s pass found him with ample space in the box to rocket home a 5-0 lead.
The passing, when at its best, was tactical. And it played into a potential source of strength for BHS.
“We have a lot of players who can put the ball in the net. Other teams can’t just shut down one player,” Stone said. “(Our unselfishness) makes us super dangerous.”
On the opposite end of the field, the defensive corps also earned the Jacks (4-3) their first clean sheet of the season. Five goals will win you plenty of games, but holding an opponent scoreless is another gratifying feat.
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“Some of the things that we’ve talked about in practice, especially defensively, came to reality today,” Toward said. “We were able to keep our shape, to keep our sheet clean. I thought our keeper is doing a better job managing the game. He made a couple of big saves for us.”
Connor Helm finished with three saves in net, highlighted by a pair of excellent close-range stops on the Lakers’ two best chances of the day.
Evan Thomas recorded five saves for Detroit Lakes (4-3).
Tuesday’s victory also marks Bemidji’s 15th in a row against the Lakers, a streak that dates back to 2013. It starts the team’s first winning streak of the season and bumps them up to 4-3 overall, as well.
Bemidji 5, Detroit Lakes 0
DL 0 0 -- 0
BHS 3 2 -- 5
First half -- 1, BHS GOAL, Johnson (Hofstad), 5’; 2, BHS GOAL, Stanoch (Stone), 9’; 3, BHS GOAL, Stanoch (Riley), 24’.
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Second half -- 4, BHS GOAL, Stanoch (Stone), 43’; 5, BHS GOAL, Hofstad (Riley), 60’.
Saves -- Helm (BHS) 3; Thomas (DL) 5.
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