McPherson Soccer Falls to Andover 3-0 in Fifth Place Game
Standfast's 17 saves highlight strong individual effort in tournament finale
McPherson's varsity soccer season came to an end with a 3-0 loss to Andover in the fifth place game, as the Bullpups struggled to find their rhythm against a talented opponent in their tournament finale.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, goalkeeper Gabe Standfast kept McPherson competitive throughout the contest with a stellar 17-save performance while conceding just two goals. Hunter Schroeder also saw action in goal, allowing one goal with no saves recorded.
The Bullpups managed six shots on goal but couldn't find the breakthrough against a strong Andover defense. Two goals conceded just before halftime proved particularly damaging to McPherson's momentum.
"Andover is a really strong team with talented players and they showed their quality today," said Head Coach Chris Adrian. "We didn't bring the same level of energy to the game as we did Thursday night."
Adrian praised several individual performances despite the defeat. "Gabe Standfast had an amazing game in goal recording 17 saves while only conceding 2 goals. Several of his saves were top notch. He really kept us in the game."
The coach also highlighted the contributions of Manny Morales and Yahir Valadez. "Manny had another strong game. He is able to play anywhere on the field and make an impact. I was also impressed with Yahir Valadez. His ability to keep the ball under pressure from multiple opponents makes a big difference for our team going forward."
While disappointed with the result, Adrian commended his team's resilience. "Giving up two cheap goals right before half time definitely took the wind out of our sails, but I was proud of how the boys kept competing and working hard in the second half."
The Bullpups face a quick turnaround with another challenging matchup Monday against Wichita Classical.
Greg Loving
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