Gremlins Grab Two Wins in Shootout

The Sacred Heart Gremlins soccer team endured extreme heat Friday night in their first game of the Smith-Cotton Shootout.

Despite the game being pushed back two hours to 7 p.m., it was a scorcher for the Gremlins and the Clinton Cardinals.

Senior George Bain was first to score in the shut-out of the Cardinals. Bain netted his 60th career goal with just under 27 minutes to play in the first half. Junior Josh Pacheco scored a goal before halftime, making the score 2-0.

George Bain scored twice in the second half with one goal at 28:31 and the other when he nailed a header off a corner kick from Josh Pacheco. The final score was 4 - 0.

Day 2 of the shootout had cooler weather, but the turf at Tiger Stadium was still hot as the Gremlins faced Osage. The Indians were first to strike, scoring a goal 8 minutes into the contest. The Gremlins shook off their fatigue from the previous night and came on strong. Senior Jackson Manning scored a goal with 24 minutes left in the first half. Senior George Bain took advantage of a perfect set-up from senior Traven Wheeler to go ahead 2-1.

In the second half, junior goalie Zander Jackson made several crucial stops and with help from the Gremlins strong backfield defenders - seniors Reuben Smith, Luke Jenkins and sophomore Max Van Leer - prevented Osage from scoring again. The Gremlins offense kept the Osage goalie very busy, but he could not stop George Bain from scoring twice - one goal at 27:31 and the next with 12:30 left in the game. The final score was 4-1.

Sacred Heart plays in the Barstow Tournament this week in Kansas City.