By Nolan Epstein (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Led by two scores from junior Hunter Skornia and a clutch performance in goal by sophomore keeper Nick Gomez, the Springfield Catholic Fightin’ Irish came away with a vital 3-0 shutout victory over Monett on Thursday – avenging a pair of heartbreaking losses in the teams’ previous two meetings.
“I think this was a statement for our team,” Skornia said after the win. “This was well-wanted for everybody considering we lost to (Monett) in the two previous seasons, and they’ve been crucial losses. This win really just defines our team.”
The Cubs (10-3), coming into the match ranked No. 7 in Class 2, featured the area’s best scorer in junior standout Jason Puente, but Catholic (7-3) was more than ready for his offensive arsenal as Puente was held in check virtually all evening.
“He’s an excellent player, but we’ve been fortunate that he has never scored a goal on us in three years,” Catholic head coach Mike Hines said of Puente. “A lot of our players play club ball with him, and they know that you’ve got to take an extra step back and, hopefully, he’ll get the ball off his foot.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
While the Irish defense did its job of containing Monett’s biggest threat, Hines looked for every advantage possible to break through offensively, including making an adjustment that placed Skornia in the attacking mid position on the field.
The adjustment paid off in a big way – allowing Skornia to find the net twice on the night and providing Catholic all the offense that it needed.
“That’s when the game turned to our advantage,” said Hines. “(Skornia) was able to play very physical and really helped us get forward with the ball.”
Skornia’s first strike came with just over a minute remaining in the first period as the talented junior received a crisp pass from senior teammate Kaueh Huttenlocher, setting up an open shot that Skornia didn’t miss.
“Kaueh Huttenlocher worked really great to get the ball down there,” said Skornia of his first goal. “His cross to me was just fantastic.”
Eight minutes into the second half, sophomore Colby Fritz added a header goal to increase the Irish lead to 2-0. That advantage would soon become 3-0 after Skornia’s second score of the night with 20:14 to go.
Despite the three-goal triumph, Thursday’s game could have turned out much differently for Catholic if it wasn’t for the heroics of Irish goalkeeper Nick Gomez. Throughout the night, Gomez made a plethora of key saves to keep the Cubs off the board, including a diving stop of a ball off the foot of Puente at the 15:03 mark of the first period.
In the end, it gave Catholic its fourth shutout of the season.
“Down the stretch, Nick (Gomez) came up big,” Hines added. “When he’s solid, we’re going to be hard-pressed for teams to beat us.”
Catholic will next square off with Carl Junction on Tuesday in another home match, while Monett waits to participate in the Kickapoo Shootout beginning on Wednesday.
