Polson Pirates dominate with back-to-back shutouts

The Polson boys soccer team put together a commanding week on the pitch, rolling past Frenchtown 9-0 and blanking Corvallis 5-0 behind a relentless offensive attack and airtight defense. 

Against Frenchtown on Tuesday, the Pirates wasted no time asserting control. Jackson Bontadelli opened the scoring in the first minute, setting the tone for a high-powered performance that saw Polson rack up five goals before halftime. Edgar Vejez-Pete doubled the lead just minutes later off a Bontadelli assist, followed by strikes from Dion Lichtenberg, Bontadelli again, and Cade McConnell, who finished a setup from Roman Sawyer. 

The Pirates kept the momentum rolling into the second half, with Bontadelli completing his hat trick off an Afton Hatch assist. Vejez-Pete, Sawyer, and Maddox Bird all added goals down the stretch, capping a complete performance. The defense continued to hold Frenchtown off the scoreboard as keepers Bird and Zephyr Sternick split duties. 

That dominant win carried into Thursday’s match against Corvallis, where Polson once again dictated the pace. Vejez-Pete opened the scoring in the second minute, pouncing on a rebound and firing home the putback. Just five minutes later, Lichtenberg finished off a deflection, and Hatch struck in the eighth minute on an assist from Lichtenberg. 

Polson continued to pile on pressure, and Isaac Kinnick made it 4-0 midway through the first half after converting a feed from Vejez-Pete. Bontadelli capped the scoring in the 79th minute to punctuate a victory fueled by 34 shots, 23 of them on frame. Corvallis, by contrast, managed only five shots all match, two on target. 

With two shutout victories, Polson improved to 4-1-1 on the year. 

    Blue Devils attempt to take the ball from pirate senior Cruz Lies in their varsity game on Sept 18. (Emily Messer/Leader)