LocalSportsJournal.com
SHELBY – After a rough meeting with Montague on Monday that saw Shelby soccer scrap out a 1-0 win, they made much quicker work of Whitehall on Wednesday in a 3-0 affair.
The first half saw both teams fighting for control of midfield, but it was the Tigers who eventually pieced together enough touches to find meaningful passes. Shelby connected on its first goal of the game when senior Mauricio Castillo found Alan Arreola, who sent a nice through pass to Venancio Cadena for the 1-0 lead.
That score carried into halftime, but despite Whitehall’s best efforts, Shelby came roaring out of the break with purpose.
Twenty minutes into the second half, a free kick opportunity from Castillo turned into an assist as Arreola came up with possession inside the Vikings’ box. Arreola turned and put a shot just out of reach of the keeper to extend the lead to 2-0.
Then, with 10 minutes left in the game, Wyatt Dickman put the final nail in the coffin thanks to an assist from Arreola.
“Our defensive players played another great game. Nathan Miller, Zach Horton, Isaias Cortina, Logan Selig and Mauricio Castillo limited the shots on goal by Whitehall’s offense,” Shelby coach Jairo Coronado said. “Ismael Valdez had another great night in goal, blocking every shot and being a leader on the field. The chemistry of the team was a key factor to earning this win.”
Shelby (5-1-2) returns to action Sept. 6 when it hosts Manistee for a rematch of last year’s district semifinal. Whitehall (1-4) will face Hart on the Pirates’ field on that same day.
