Defensive minded Sandy boys soccer in the thick of Mt. Hood Conference race

Published 7:00 pm Thursday, October 17, 2024

After a 2-3-2 record through the nonleague portion of its schedule, Sandy High School boys soccer took a small break from their pitch.

However, they traded their pitch for the stands at Providence Park to take in a Portland Timbers match. And most importantly, they did it as a team.

It was all a part of the plan for Sandy head coach Christopher Cramer as he wanted his team to come together before embarking on the seven-game sprint of the Mt. Hood Conference schedule.

So far, the results speak for themselves with Sandy at 3-0-1 in league play following a 0-0 tie with reigning league champions David Douglas on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

“One of the things we did with them right before league started, and it was purposely timed, is we took them to a Timbers game,” Cramer said. “Things like that are important for them just to bond and enjoy the game and remember that this is fun, this is an exciting thing to be a part of. And I really do think that kind of mental break after the grind of those first seven games was a really important thing.”

Not only are the Pioneers having more fun, but Cramer said he sees his squad communicating more and playing for each other as a unit after the mental reset halfway through the season.

The proof is in the win column with Sandy rattling off three wins to open league play, downing Nelson 3-0, then Clackamas 1-0 and taking care of Gresham 2-0.

And even though the Pioneers walked away with a tie against David Douglas, they were able to hold a high-powered offense in the Scots off the board despite 14 shots fired.

“We know what our strength is and our strength is defense, and it’s been that way for the last two seasons,” Cramer said. “So for us, it was bend, not break. We are a transition team, and so for us, it was making most of our transitions, which I thought we did a great job … Considering we conceded so much possession to them, I still think we walked away with the better of the chances.”

While the back line did a strong job against the Scots, the play of junior goalkeeper Andy Gonzalez is what sealed the deal.

In the final five minutes, Gonzalez came up with a save on a David Douglas free kick that came from the middle of the field and right in front of the penalty box.

The shot went under the Pioneers’ leaping wall, but Gonzalez dove to his right to make the save and ultimately preserve the 0-0 tie. And that was just one of a handful of important saves made on the night.

“There are not enough words for me to talk about Andy Gonzalez,” Cramer said. “For me, right now, he is the best goalkeeper in the Mt. Hood Conference until somebody else can prove otherwise. The defense in front of him is working their tails off, but they’re doing that knowing that sometimes you are going to bend a little and Andy is a warm blanket that’s there to just keep things (comfortable).”

On the field, Cramer said Gonzalez is technically sound and has come into his own on being a vocal leader. In previous years, he was a quieter kid, but was voted team captain ahead of this season and can be heard bellowing out information to his defense from the net now.

The Pioneers will need every ounce of that down the stretch with three league games left against Barlow (7-4, 2-1 MHC) on the road at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, Central Catholic (4-2-4, 2-0-1 MHC) at home at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 and Reynolds (1-8-1, 1-1-1 MHC) on the road at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29.

The Bruins are a rival, the Rams are always strong and the Raiders can be a wild card in the MHC race, so Cramer and the Pioneers aren’t taking any of the remaining opponents lightly.

Not when a path to an unlocked goal is very much alive.

“This late in the season, this is where the daily grind starts to get on peoples’ bodies and minds, so we’re going to have to play through some discomfort,” Cramer said. “But, to be undefeated four games in, it puts us in a really good position.

“We came into the season going, ‘Let’s make the playoffs.’ Now, we’re sitting here going, ‘Maybe let’s go win a league title.’”