By Greg Gielczyk
LocalSportsJournal.com
LUDINGTON — You couldn’t ask for a better finish to the regular season. At least, that’s how the Ludington boys’ soccer team felt after it shut out Shelby 4-0 at home Wednesday night.
Despite falling short of their goal to win the West Michigan Conference title, the Orioles had few complaints after celebrating Senior Night with an emphatic win, and they now enter the district tournament on a positive note. With head coach Kris Anderson missing the game due a death in the family, assistant Andy Hamilton stepped in to run the show.
Ludington scored the only goal it would need in the first half, when Ultan Ryan converted a pass from Yebe Boerema and went into the break with a 1-0 lead.
Not leaving anything to chance, the Orioles added three more goals in the second half, while the defense kept the Tigers from getting on the board.
“We didn’t play up to our potential in the first half,” Hamilton added. “The players talked about that at halftime, and we made some adjustments. In the second half, we moved the ball much quicker and more accurately, and we created more dangerous scoring opportunities.”
Ludington’s top gun Spencer Holmes needed no help in making the score 2-0 when he bore down on the Tigers’ goal and slipped in an unassisted goal. Parker Wendt, the other leading scorer for the Orioles, extended the lead to 3-0 with a goal after Holmes found him floating free.
Yebe Boerema got in on the action as well, sending the ball into the back of the net thanks to an assist from Wendt.
The Orioles’ defense frustrated the Tigers’ and limited them to just seven shots on goal—with keeper Caleb Sheldon finishing with four saves—as the offense peppered the Shelby keeper with 21 shots.
Ludington finishes the regular season at 14-5 overall and 8-2 (Runner-up) in the WMC. The Orioles will face Bay City Central in the district quarter-final round of the state tournament next Thursday at 6 p.m.
