MOORE — While the basketball season continues at Norman North and Southmoore, the soccer season for both schools got under way Friday night on the SaberCats’ home field, with neither bunch of Timberwolves yielding a goal.
The defending Class 6A state champion North boys netted three goals in the game’s first 22 minutes, getting two from Carson Cacciatore in a 3-0 victory.
Opening the night, the North girls got a goal and an assist from freshman Francesca Ryan in a 2-0 victory.
“We had some really good moments,” fourth-year North coach Geo Claros said. “We had about a 20 minute window in the first half where we did some really good things.”
Both sets of T-Wolves were playing on a very narrow pitch in comparison to the full-sized one at North’s soccer complex, and both coaches, Claros and North girls coach Don Rother, said their teams had to come to grips with the lack of space.
On a cold, cold night to begin the soccer season, they came to grips with it well enough.
Cole Johnson added a goal and an assist in the North boys victory, while first-year starting goalkeeper Daniel Taylor didn’t have to make any saves to secure his first shutout.
For the girls, Lauren Morf added a goal and Lexi Carroll assisted on Ryan’s opener that put the T-Wolves up for good in the game’s 32nd minute.
Rother said his squad had been very good in its preseason drills and scrimmages, but playing a game that counts was a new experience for several players receiving quality playing time for the first time.
“They’re good players,” he said, “but were nervous.”
The T-Wolves have Tuesday off before facing big tests in each of their games when Broken Arrow visits March 8.
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