Bluejays soccer team sits on three-game win streak

The Three Lakes-Phelps boys varsity soccer team had another period of scoring success as they took three of four games last week by earning 21 total goals. After losing a close 3-2 road match against Northland Lutheran last Tuesday, the team rebounded with three straight victories starting with an 8-0 powerhouse win at home over Iron Mountain High School. Two days later, the Jays won two games in a Saturday competition between three teams played at Antigo High School.

After a sluggish start to the season, the Bluejays now sit with a winning 5-4-1 record. This could change quickly in either direction with another full plate of four games served up on the menu this week. With a wide variety of scoring weapons at their disposal, however, the team is hopeful that their hot streak continues into the heavy stretch of games. They have now scored 21 goals in back-to-back weeks, averaging more than five scores per match in the process.

Last week started with a tight game on the road at Northland Lutheran, where the Jays fell behind 1-0 in the opening minutes and trailed 2-1 after one half of action. Overall, the game was played well by both clubs, with each team scoring a single goal in the second half, but the Wildcats held on for the 3-2 victory. Charlie Welsh and Corbyn Gutbrod scored the two goals for the Bluejays.

Two days later, the scoring floodgates opened in front of a home crowd on the soccer field in Phelps, where the Jays found the back of the net eight times against the Mountaineers of Iron Mountain. Gutbrod started the scoring early with a long sliding kick to give the Bluejays a 1-0 lead. Other scorers included Carson Plehn, who closed out the match with two late goals. Charlie Welsh, Cohen Welsh, Blake Joslin and Will Connor each tapped the scoreboard once, while sophomore Matthew Potrykus scored his first goal of the year with a confident laser from his right foot.

Following the 8-0 blowout win against Iron Mountain, the Bluejays traveled to Antigo on Saturday to face the Red Robins of Antigo High School, before a second match of the day against the Saints of Faith Christian Academy. The weather was cold and rainy with slippery field conditions, but the Jays swept the day with 4-1 and 7-0 victories to end the week with three straight wins.

Lucas Riker was back in the scoring column with goals in each match, and Joslin lit the scoreboard twice in the first half of the game with the Saints. In fact, he scored twice in three minutes as the Bluejays were relentlessly controlling the ball and getting scoring opportunities during a seven-minute stretch where the team scored five times. Masen Schoeneck and Ryker Hafer joined in the scoring frenzy during this period, and the Jays walked away with two easy victories.

The team saw well-balanced scoring during the past four games as 10 different Bluejays made the goal tally, led by Cohen Welsh and Joslin with three scores each. Six players had multiple goals during the stretch. On the defensive side, the Bluejays continued with a rotating team of goalkeepers, including Schoeneck, Connor, Robert Wenberg and Isaiah Perlewitz, who collectively gave up only four goals.

The busy schedule continues this week with four road games, including an early match in Mosinee, followed by a 7:00 p.m. game Thursday night at Rhinelander High School. Another multi-team event will take place at 10:00 a.m. this Saturday, September 26, at Northland Pines High School.