By Murray Gleffe
Correspondent
GREEN BAY – The Bay Port boys’ soccer team did everything except put the ball in the net for the first 74 minutes against Notre Dame Academy Oct. 5.
With about five minutes remaining, Ryan Amond took advantage of a Notre Dame handball and notched the game-winning goal from 21 yards out.
Amond’s goal helped lift the Pirates to a 1-0 Fox River Classic Conference (FRCC) victory over the Tritons at Ted Fritsch Field.
“You don’t want to see a shot by (Amond) if you’re an opponent,” Bay Port Head Coach Travis Herber said. “In the 17 years I’ve been coaching, I’ve never seen a more accurate shot than his. It’s a testament to him on how he works on his craft. He’s a talented young man. This was a gratifying victory over a quality program in Notre Dame.”
The win keeps the Pirates (11-0-3 overall, 4-0-2 FRCC) undefeated on the season.
Bay Port came into the game ranked No. 9 in Division 1 in the latest Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association poll.
Payton Schilz got an early look in the seventh minute after he broke away from the Tritons’ (10-3-3, 4-1-1) defense.
However, Notre Dame goalie Omar Cendejas Maldonado came out of his net to win the foot race and poked the ball to the sideline.
The Tritons’ best chance of the evening came in the 12th minute when John Sack had a clear look at the back of the Bay Port net but hit the right post to keep the game scoreless.
Josh Howe and Amond had a couple more chances in the first half for Bay Port, but none found the back of the net.
“We had lots of good chances throughout the game,” Herber said. “I felt like at some point, it was going to fall. To be honest, I was more concerned with us having a bad pass, a defensive lapse or a mental breakdown somewhere on the field. Most of the goals against us this season have come against an unmarked person.”
Despite a huge disparity on shots on goal favoring the Pirates, the game remained scoreless at halftime.
The first 15 minutes of the second half were mirrored with good defense from both squads.
Later, Notre Dame received back-to-back corner kicks in the 68th and 69th minutes, but both were turned away by Pirates keeper Brady Wazny.
“(Wazny) is one heck of a goalkeeper,” Herber said. “He’s aggressive and a smart player back there. It’s nice to not have to over coach because the kids get it from the center to the back. They are a talented group.”
Six minutes later, Amond ripped a left-footed rocket to give Bay Port the one-goal advantage it held on to the finish.
“We’ve won the conference the last two years,” Herber said. “Everybody wants Bay Port. I hope this victory sets us up for the final three games of the regular season.”
Box score
Bay Port: 0, 1 — 1
Notre Dame: 0, 0 — 0