The Brookings-Harbor Bruin varsity soccer team has worked itself into post-season play and will play their first game of the 2019 play-offs TODAY at 3:00pm after an undefeated 2019 season, scoring 116 goals in 15 games and only allowing 3 goals against them.
TODAY at 3:00pm, at the Brookings-Harbor High School soccer field, head coach Jess Beaman and his 15-0 #3 OSAA ranked Bruin boys soccer team will be matching up with the OSAA ranked #17 Western Christian School Pioneers who will be bringing their 10-5-2 record from Salem this afternoon at 3:00pm.
Much like the Lady Bruins game yesterday, this match-up should make an interesting game since the Pioneers have been inconsistent most of the season, there is no telling which team will show up this afternoon. The Pioneers recorded 5 losses on the season allowing 20 goals against them while putting 58 balls behind opposing keepers. The inconsistency comes from playing high ranking teams such as #2 Oregon Episcopal and #4 Taft close, while losing to #30 Yamhill-Carlton.
The Bruin defense will need to be on their game with basic ball control skills, keeping their traps close and being decisive and quick to set up attacks from the backfield. Mishandling mistakes at the wrong time in the middle of the field can quickly turn into points from a team that has held their own against top ranked teams all year.
The mid-field must control their space, retrieving loose balls and challenging any attempts to establish any offensive continuity while allowing no open looks or shots from the outside. The Pioneers scored just over half of the goals produced by the Bruin offense this season against high ranked teams, meaning their speed is not where their goals are coming from. Speed exposes defenses, and if the Pioneers consistently scored their goals with speed, their goal total would be higher. Since that is not the case, outside shooting is their goal scoring strength. Outside shooting typically produces low scoring games that are fought out in the midfield looking for open spaces to shoot since the offense can not beat the opposing back line with speed.
The Bruins, besides having excellent ball control skill also have speed, as shown by the high goal total. This is the Bruins strength, ball control to build offense with speed forcing defenses to give them space in an effort to not get beat on the way to the goal with unmatched speed.
This match up should produce a very exciting game this afternoon. Make plans to be at Bruin field at 3:00pm this afternoon to help give the Bruins the homefield advantage they worked hard for this season.
