The Eureka Loggers are confident they can end a two-decade wait for a league title in boys soccer this fall.
And they’re certainly playing like contenders.
After seeing league rivals Arcata, Del Norte and Fortuna each take home a league pennant over the past three years, the Loggers will kick off the H-DNL on Wednesday with a self-belief they may not have had in recent years.
“The boys are finally believing we can play with these teams,” second-year head coach Tommy Learmouth said after a 1-1 tie with Arcata at Washington Field on Saturday afternoon. “We finally know we can hang with them.”
Their early-season form would suggest they can.
Last weekend, the Loggers tied the defending H-DNL champion Huskies in the championship game of the McKinleyville tournament, before eventually losing the contest on a penalty shootout.
And they followed that with Saturday’s tie against an Arcata team that also has legitimate championship ambitions.
“We feel like we have the skill to compete, and now they have the belief they can do it,” Learmouth said of his players. “They’re buying into what we’re doing and working hard.”
Kyan Green has been central to that and continued to impress and lead the way on Saturday.
The standout central defender, who has been a reliable presence on the back line through the early season, scored his team’s goal on a first-half penalty kick.
However, the Tigers would respond in the second half to salvage a share of the spoils.
There were several standouts for Eureka, including the play of Levi Grossman, who switched from the front line to left back and had one of his best games of the year.
“He looked fantastic,” Learmouth said.
One of the stories of the early season for the Loggers has been the play of sophomore goalkeeper Mason Beauchamp.
The youngster has established himself as the team’s No. 1 choice between the posts and more.
“I believe he’s the No. 1 goalkeeper in the league,” Learmouth said. “He makes quality saves. He’s making 10 saves a game right now, and it’s definitely given us some confidence, and he’s good in possession too.”
No stats from Saturday’s game were immediately available for the Tigers.
Coaches are encouraged to forward details to Humboldt Sports if they would like their players included in our roundups.
The Loggers will kick off league play against Del Norte at Washington Field on Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m.
