After forcing draws in their first two games, McCracken County’s boys soccer team picked up its first win of the season on its home turf on Tuesday night with a 3-1 win over Henderson. A group of 10 seniors make up the majority of this experienced roster, and had a huge part in the team’s win last night.
“I like our guys. I think we’re solid,” Head coach Michael Wiersema said following the win. “We have a chance to be special if we don’t make mistakes in the back defensively. We showed tonight we have the chance to open up offensively. It’s just a matter of time.”
At the head of that offensive effort was senior Mason Atnip. He tapped in two goals in this affair, and had some strong chances just miss the net. He is apart of this large group of seniors hoping to lead this team in more ways than one.
“He was starting to feeling himself,” Wiersema added. “He’s had a hurt back and has been nursing that the past couple of weeks, but is starting to come back to health at the right time.”
“I thought our team did great tonight. We moved the ball very well, and we really put our effort in,” Atnip said after his performance. “It felt nice to get some goals in after hurting the last couple of games.”
Atnip credits the other seniors for the leadership role they are playing this season, trying to be successful on the field and build up the younger guys below them.
“All of us seniors really know what it’s like to go through those younger years. We’re really trying to keep these young kids focused so they know what to do, and can lead the next group as they come in.”
Coach Wiersema also had high praise for the senior class, acknowledging the chemistry on the field between them.
“They play together in club and in high school, so they know each other, work for each other, and move the ball pretty well. That’s good to see.”
A junior who contributed tonight was William O’Neill. He netted his first goal of the season and McCracken’s second of the game 25 minutes into the game, and had a solid night overall facilitating the offense.
The 1-0-2 Mustangs will finish their brief home stint on Saturday against Warren Central, a team they fell to last season 6-1. This will be a test of how well this group is prepared and the amount they have improved in their three games to start the season. That game will kick off at 12:30 p.m.