The Wolves varsity soccer suffered a stinging 3-0 loss to Birmingham Detroit Country Day on Oct. 14.
“I don’t know why, but we seem to struggle with the tougher non-conference games. I don’t know if we think that because our league is so tough that we can take a day off, but I think (the DCD game) proved that we can not do that,” said Clarkston Coach Mark Whitcomb.
DCD’s senior captain Steve Bonnel scored all three of the goals in the game. Bonnel opened the scoring 10 minutes into the half, firing a shot which Whitcomb described as a laser past junior goaltender Barak Thomas.
“It (was) apparent why Steve Bonnel is getting a full ride to the University of Michigan,” said senior midfielder Young Kwak.
Bonnel’s skill level aside, Whitcomb was disappointed that his defense gave him the opportunity to shoot. He also felt that DCD’s other goals, which came midway through the second half, were due to defensive lapses.
Defensive breakdowns aside, the Wolves threatened at times, but were unable to press the action deep into the DCD zone. The Wolves failed to register a shot from inside the Yellow Jackets’ box throughout the game.
Another major factor in the game which tipped the scales in DCD’s favor was the incredibly fast and slick astro-turf of their home field.
“(The field) was a lot faster than the usual astro-turf fields we have played on, also we are predominantly a natural grass team,” said Kwak.
DCD’s carpet was a plastic grass surface reminiscent of what pads Ford Field, a cold and misty night turned the surface into a slippery nightmare for the ball control offense Clarkston employs.
“It was like playing on ice,” said Whitcomb
The loss ends Clarkston’s regular season on a somber note, but is not without peers as the Wolves put together a 7-9-2 record this season.
Clarkston’s first round district game against Waterford Kettering on Oct. 19 ended to late for this edition of The Clarkston News. The Wolves feel that their sub .500 record is due in part to playing in the toughest league in the state, which featured the last two state champions: Troy and Rochester.
“If we don’t win districts it will be a disappointment to me, our coach and the rest of our team,” said Kwak.
Prior to the match against Kettering, Whitcomb was confident in his team’s chances to advance to the second round of districts on Oct. 21, which would set up a rematch against Lake Orion.
The Dragons have beaten the Wolves four straight times dating back to last season and have posted 1-0 wins in both contests this year.