Norse soccer team falls in 'Final Four', points to next year.

While soccer coach Randy U'ren will have eight months to ponder where to put the "X's" and "O's" on plays, returning Norsemen players will have time to consider one "X."
The one on their backs.

With 21 of 26 players back from a team that advanced to the state "Final Four" and tied with Leland for the Northwest Conference title, Suttons Bay will likely enter the 2008 season as league and District favorites.
If the Norsemen continue the "never quit" attitude it showed last week against eventual state Division IV champion Muskegon West Michigan Christian, they should be up to the challenge.

"Here's the hard part," said U'Ren, in looking ahead. "On paper, we look really good next year. This year we didn't feel any pressure on us. This year, the guys didn't have high expectations for themselves. I did, they didn't."

Suttons Bay, which finished 21-6-1, won five games in the state tournament before running into No. 1-rated West Michigan Christian (WMC) last Wednesday. The 5-1 outcome wasn't pretty, but also wasn't as bad as the final score would indicate.

The Norsemen were outplayed early, but only fell behind 1-0. "The first 20 minutes, they just took it to us," said U'Ren. "We have a tendency to come out flat, but like what happened to us many times this year, our defense held us."

And then the tide started to turn.

"We put some pressure on their defense, and that took some pressure off our defense," explained U'Ren.

With 40 seconds remaining in the first half, however, a header converted a WMC corner kick into a 2-0 halftime lead. Sensing that the next goal was critical, Suttons Bay took the second half kick-off downfield with Blaine Fritz sending a pass to a streaking Shane MacDonald. The pair have picked up goals and assists in bunches all season.

MacDonald nearly got a foot on the pass.

WMC quickly changed the direction of the play — and the flow of the game — by taking the ball downfield for a score. Down 3-0, the Norsemen continued to battle until MacDonald's goal with an assist from Fritz spoiled the shutout and ended the game.

"It was fitting," offered U'Ren. "We never quit."

For the season Fritz the senior and MacDonald the junior both scored enough to set records. Fritz ended up No. 1 in the record book for goals with 30 in a season, along with 15 assists. MacDonald buried 29 goals to go with 23 assists — the latter also likely a Norsemen record.

"I believe so," said U'Ren when asked of the potential records. "But I'm not big counting individual statistics. I'm pretty sure that's a new (single season goal) record there."

Seniors graduating include starters Fritz, "team leader" Ryan Gardner, and Niel Bell who showed "great improvement," said U'Ren. Also gone will be exchange students Jesus Olivo of Venzuela and Lennart Folchert of Germany.

But back will be U'Ren, a team with an "X" on its back, and plenty of competition.

"I think everybody in our District is going to be better next year," said U'Ren.