Wildcats finish second: Alpena wins one, loses one, ties one at Huron Shores Invitational on Saturday | News, Sports, Jobs

The Wildcats opened the tournament against the Traverse City Saint Francis Gladiators.

The Gladiators struck early. Tyler Boynton-Fisher scored just five minutes into the first period after Alpena goalkeeper Drake Wheelock nearly saved a shot. Seven minutes later, Sam McMann extended the Gladiators’ lead to 2-0, leaving the Wildcats scoreless at halftime.

The Gladiators continued to dominate the second half, with Jack Sperry scoring in the tenth minute to make it 3-0. The Wildcats managed to score a goal in the 14th minute of the second half when Keller Skiba scored on a penalty kick, giving Alpena fans some hope.

However, the Gladiators sealed their victory with a late goal from Nate Testa and finished the game with a 4-1 victory over the Wildcats.

News photo by Leslianne Johns Alpena’s Jace Kadrick chases the ball during Saturday’s game against Armada. The Wildcats ended up playing the Tigers in a 1-1 tie.

In a hard-fought game, the Wildcats then faced the Armada Tigers.

Both teams showed strong defensive skills, resulting in a goalless first half. However, a few minutes into the second half, Owen Chun of the Tigers scored to give his team a 1-0 lead.

Alpena did not give up, however. 18 minutes into the second half, Jack Supiran successfully converted a penalty to tie the game 1-1. The game ultimately ended in a draw.

In their last game against Tawas, the Wildcats were determined to get a win. They put pressure on their opponents throughout the game and their efforts paid off five minutes into the second half when Supiran found the back of the net to give Alpena a 1-0 lead.

The Wildcats held their defense, maintained the lead until the final whistle and secured their first win of the tournament.

News photo by Leslianne Johns Drake Wheelock kicks the ball during Alpena’s boys soccer game against Armada on Saturday. The Wildcats played three teams in the Huron Shores Invitational and ultimately finished in second place.

With one win, one tie and one loss, the Alpena Wildcats took second place at the Huron Shores Invitational. Traverse City Saint Francis took first place, Tawas took third and Armada took fourth.

Regarding the team’s performance, the Wildcats captains admitted that it was not their best day.

“I think we were pretty sluggish today,” Skiba said. “It just wasn’t a good day for us. We usually dominate teams like that, but we didn’t manage to do that this time. Overall, it just wasn’t a good performance. We’ll try to bounce back on Tuesday.”

When asked about the biggest challenges during the tournament, captain Kaleb Werth emphasized the importance of maintaining defense and staying organized.

“The biggest challenge was maintaining our defense and staying organized,” he said. “Our team had to persevere despite the setbacks we suffered during the tournament.”

News photo by Leslianne Johns. The Alpena Wildcats boys soccer team frolics before their first game of the Huron Shores Invitational on Saturday. AHS finished second in the tournament.

Looking ahead, Skiba shared key takeaways from the day’s games.

“We need to pull back more in defence, improve our speed and fitness and work more without the ball,” he said.

Skiba also stressed that better ball reception and more precise finishing as well as a better organised defence are necessary.

As the Wildcats prepare for their next game, they are focused on using the lessons learned in the tournament to improve their game.

“We’ll try to keep the energy high and cheer everyone on in the locker room,” Supiran added. “It’s important to give positive reinforcement and avoid negativity.”

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, the Alpena Wildcats are determined to build on their performance at the Huron Shores Invitational and strive for success.

The Wildcats will next play against John Glenn High School on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. at Wildcat Stadium.