Two of the best defenses in the H-DNL matched up on Tuesday, and both continued to impress as the Huskies and Del Norte Warriors tied 0-0 at Fortuna.
Also in action on Tuesday, the Eureka girls bounced back from a weekend 1-0 loss to Del Norte, their first defeat of the season, with a 5-2 win over Arcata.
The Fortuna back line has been one of the most impressive in the league this season and posted a seventh shutout, while the Del Norte defenders have been even more impressive in recent weeks, posting a remarkable seventh shutout in eight games.
The Warriors are also one of the most improved teams in the league from earlier in the season, and after going winless in their first three games — including a 5-0 loss to Fortuna — they have dropped just one game since then.
And the defense, coupled with composed goalkeeper Avery Ritter, have played a key role in that evolution.
Tuesday’s tie follows a one-goal win over Eureka on Saturday, which was the Loggers’ first loss of the campaign.
“Our defensive line is working well together,” Del Norte head coach Shawn Eckart said of the unit that includes Joanna Montanez, Alex Eckart, Sophia Ramirez, Calia Deater and Kiaya Matthess. “And Avery Ritter, especially against Eureka, has been stepping up and has been a really good goalie.”
The Huskies also are showing plenty of improvement and played what might have been their best game so far.
“I thought the girls played some of their best soccer of the season,” Fortuna head coach Arnulfo Aguirre said. “Our passing was probably the best it has been all season, and we created several chances in the first half.
“The communication was really good and our defense was solid all around. Everyone had a great game and did their part.”
Neither forward line, however, was able to break the deadlock.
“We just couldn’t find that final pass to get the goal,” Aguirre added. “Del Norte was hard to break down, but we kept pushing and creating chances.
“We just need to keep working and bring a little more effort in those final moments.”
The game could have gone either way.
“It was pretty evenly-matched,” Shawn Eckart said. “It was a battle, back and forth, back and forth. It was a slugfest.”
In addition to the team defense, holding midfielder Reba Deater also impressed and helped the back line, while making a “couple of really amazing plays,” according to the coach.
Judging by Tuesday’s performances, both Del Norte and Fortuna appear ready for a good stretch run.
“Overall I really liked what I saw from the girls, and I feel like we are heading in the right direction,” Aguirre said.
With the tie, Fortuna is now 7-2-2 on the season and Del Norte is 6-5-3.
No stats or details were immediately available from the Eureka/Arcata game.
