Soccer: Pioneer, Skyline play to draw before enthusiastic crowd (WLAA photogallery)
Pioneer and Skyline, two of the best soccer teams in the area, played like two of the best soccer teams in the area before an enthusiastic crowd Thursday night at Pioneer. While neither team could kick one into the goal column the game itself was a huge victory for not only the two teams but the game of soccer – think, one small step, one giant leap.
“It was such a great atmosphere,” said Pioneer Coach Jon Sundermann. “The students turned out to support us and it was great to see. I know all our players appreciated it and it made for a special night.”
While the Pioneer students were on the Skyline players all night the Eagles seemed to enjoy it and even thrive off the atmosphere as well.
“Their fans were a treat for sure,” Skyline Coach Chris Morgan said with a smile.
The fans were treated to some outstanding soccer. These were two teams playing exceptionally well and not giving an inch to their opponent from across town.
“It was a great test for us,” said Morgan. “We need to do a better job taking care of the ball, especially in the second half. We had some uncharacteristic errors, but like I said, it was a great test.”
The scoreless draw was the perfect outcome in a game that neither team deserved to lose.
“It was a great moment for us but the moment is over,” Sundermann said. “It’s time for us to move on and continue to improve. I’m really proud of the way we played and we have to continue to get ready for a very tough District coming up.”
One big moment in the game came early on when Skyline banged a shot off the crossbar.
“If that goes in, it’s a different challenge for us,” Sundermann said. “They play high pressure soccer so we needed to weather the storm in the first few minutes and once we did that, I think we were fine.”
