The Superior Spartans boys soccer team dropped both of their games at Eau Claire Thursday afternoon.
The Spartans opened with a 5-1 loss to River Falls then fall 11-0 to the Eau Claire North Huskies.
The match against River Falls was the first meeting in at least five years.
River Falls dominated the first 15 minutes of play with the Spartans giving up seven corner kicks. SHS junior keeper Kyle Ilenda tried to rally the team by successfully defending each corner, but River Falls eventually earned the first tally of the match on a clean break away towards the middle of the first half.
The Spartans responded shortly after when junior Dave Zastrow placed a free kick directly into the River Falls penalty area. Spartan senior captain Brent Engstrom kept the ball airborne and sophomore midfielder Ethan Walpole tapped the ball home to make the game 1-1.
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Unfortunately the Spartans were not able to capitalize on the momentum shift and gave up three quick goals in the closing 10 minutes of the half. River Falls scored once more in the second half to make the final 5-1.
Eau Claire North, which gave the Spartans an early exit from last year's playoffs, made quick work of the Spartans, scoring 18 seconds into the game on the way to the 11-0 win.
The Huskies, who return 11 seniors from a team that was unbeaten and the No. 1 seed in the section last year, suffered its only loss in their next game.
"This is a carbon copy start of last season, we're participating, but not playing the game," SHS coach Aaron Ashley said. "Hard work and discipline will be our watch words next week."
The Spartans (0-3) host Hermantown at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Superior 1 0 -- 1
River Falls 4 1 -- 5
First half -- 1. RF, Ross Anderson, 16th; 2. S, Ethan Walpole (Dave Zastrow), 18th; 3. RF, Anderson (Brian Gregg), 28th; 4. RF, Anderson, 29th; 5. RF, Gregg (Anderson), 33rd.
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Second half -- 6. RF, Jeff Kujala, 65th.
Saves -- Kyle Ilenda, S, 20; Justin Rice, RF, 10.
Superior 0 0 -- 0
Eau Claire North 6 5 -- 11
First half -- 1. Ethan Blogett, 1st; 2. Blogett, 6th; 3. Keilor Eggen, 17th; 4. Tyler Moody, 30th; 5. Blogett, 32nd; 6. Moody, 37th.
Second half -- 7. Blogett, 42nd; 8. John Meier, 63rd; 9. Derrik Dillon, 67th; 10. Chue Yee Yang, 75th; 11. Dillon, 76th.
Saves -- Ilenda, S, 16; Eric Berger, S, 10; Andrew Kleist, ECN, 3.
