PAGE A20, KEIZERTIMES, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021
McNary earns fourth consecutive
clean sheet in win over West Albany
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
With league play on the horizon, the
McNary girls’ soccer squad is heading
into the meat of their schedule with a
lot of confi dence.
Sydnee Alfano and Tessa Fisher
each scored a goal for the Celtics, while
goalkeeper Hannah Ferguson earned
her fourth straight shutout in the net,
as McNary defeated West Albany 2-0
on Thursday, Sept. 16 for their fi fth con-
secutive win.
“I'm feeling really good about the
ability of this team and I think they are
starting to believe it as well,” McNary
head coach Lauren Brouse said. “They
take what we talk about at practice or at
halftime and they go out and execute it.
That is why it feels like every game, we
are getting a little bit better.”
The fi ve-game win-streak is the lon-
gest the Celtics have had since 2016 —
the Celtics outscored their opponents
9-1 during the stretch.
“We do a really good job of working
together. Out of all the years I have
been here, this has been the team that
is the most connected. Having fi ve
wins in a row is a pretty big deal and
we are feeling good about going into
league play,” Fisher said.
McNary had a pair of near-misses
on corner kicks in the fi rst 15 minutes
in the contest. But in the 16th minute,
the Celtics were able to connect on an
opportunity from the corner to take the
early lead.
Celtics midfi elder Peyton Olafson
placed a great ball in the middle that
carried towards the net. The pass was
knocked away by the West Albany
keeper, but Alfano got a touch before
the ball hit the turf and placed a shot
that caromed off a Bulldog defender
and into the back of the net for the goal.
“I have been working a lot on accu-
racy with corner kicks. I am always
McNary forward Sydnee Alfano shows off her footwork in the Celtics 2-0 victory against West Albany.
aiming right for Syd. And to see us
connect and get that goal was a really
proud moment for us. I was able to get
it right where I wanted it,” Olafson said.
“If you can fi nd Sydney in there on a
cross, she is going to put it in. Getting
that early lead I think calms us down
a little bit. We always start off a little
hectic, but when we put one away, I feel
like this team can just play their game,”
Brouse added.
The McNary defense was eff ective in
limiting West Albany's opportunities
as the Bulldogs struggled to get clean
looks in the fi rst 40 minutes. They had
a pair of chances to get on the board in
the fi nal fi ve minutes of the fi rst half,
but both shots sailed wide.
Brouse cycled in a number of diff er-
ent players into the back line in the sec-
ond half, but no matter who was on the
fi eld, the Celtics defense didn't miss a
beat.
“Our back line is full of all-stars. But
we also have depth. I can take someone
out, and I am perfectly comfortable
with my bench going in,” Brouse said.
“Those girls are really smart players.
Photo by MATT RAWLINGS of Keizertimes
And they are coachable.”
Brouse also shared how proud she
was of her team posting another clean
sheet.
“I hope our defense and goalkeeper
realize how big that is. That is a huge
deal. They are really proud of that and I
think it's helping them keep the inten-
sity in their games,” Brouse said.
With the score still at 1-0 midway
through the second half, Fisher gave
the Celtics a little more breathing room
with an impressive goal.
After receiving the ball in the
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