With three outstanding wins in the past week, the girls’ soccer team from Suttons Bay has launched into the season with full force after their initial loss to Leland.
The Norse defeated Glen Lake for the first time since 2019 in a 6-0 win on Monday.
“It was a good game to win because Glen Lake’s always a good competitor and they always have been and they’ve always been very tough to compete against. This year just shows that our team has been working hard,” Suttons Bay senior Lauren Lint said.
The Norse came out strong with an effective passing game and shut down defense early on against the Lakers. Lint had three goals in the win.
“I think we’ve all just started clicking with the midfield ... We’re all just kind of getting comfortable with each other. We know where everyone’s at and we are good at communicating with each other,” she said.
Lake Leelanau St. Mary senior Amanda Tarsa and her teammates holding down the defensive end that pitched helped with a shutout for goalkeeper Keely TwoCrow.
“We communicate a lot back there and we cover for each other so if somebody leaves the position, another person will go cover for that position. It’s just constantly reinforcing the positions and having somebody always ready to go help out,” Tarsa said.
The Lakers have had the upper hand over the past four years as Glen Lake has not lost to Suttons Bay.
As for the win over the Lakers, the mental aspect of beating someone for the first time in several years is a mental hurdle cleared for the Norse.
The Lakers had trouble fielding a full squad in the lopsided loss as injuries piled up, finishing the game with nine. After Suttons Bay dominated the first half, the Lakers did show fight in the second half.
“Both sides created chances but we weren’t able to convert. I was proud of how they regrouped and played great in the second half. The girls showed so much character and belief, definitely something to build on,” Glen Lake coach Eric Luthardt said.
Sutton Bay started its three game winning streak with an 8-0 mercy over Kinglsey and a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Manistee last week.
Coach Randy U’Ren was out of town as assistant coach Patty Andressen stepped in at the helm to guide the Norse.
“Watching these girls, it’s not one-star standout player dominating the game … but they are just such a team unit right now … They’re such a team that they just feed off each other,” U’Ren said. “It’s kind of the mental thing when they can get past the name on the Jersey (Glen Lake) and just play the game. That helps.” U’Ren said.
The Norse will be looking to compete at a high level in a TCBAA tournament on Friday and Saturday south of Traverse City.
