With his first touch of the year, Porter Hedenberg volleyed Max Farris looping cross in to give the Birds a 1 to 0 lead about 20 minutes into the game.

 

Carrie Gorrigan outmuscled two Cooper defenders with about 10 minutes to go in the second (the 81st minute if you will) to extend the lead to 2 to nil, assist Carter Holmes.

 

Pretty physical game. Holmes is lucky his ACL is intact. No problem yellow carding players for dissent, but I would really like to see them given for bad slide tackles. If you want to lay the marker down that your word is law early, great. Dissent shouldn’t be accepted. However, you better govern all of the game then and make sure that you protect the players as much as you protect your ego. Bad tackles end high school careers

Cooper was down 2 starters. Their GK and Studer up top. They looked like they physically outplayed Highlands the first half and knocked them off their game. Highlands did good in the second half to spread the ball out and create chances up top. Definitely a tale of 2 halves.

Cooper was down 2 starters. Their GK and Studer up top. They looked like they physically outplayed Highlands the first half and knocked them off their game. Highlands did good in the second half to spread the ball out and create chances up top. Definitely a tale of 2 halves.

 

Cooper came out very energetic. I appreciate Nico’s game and having Grant as the workhorse holding mid gives them a good tandem to link play from. Highlands played the whole roster in the first half. Every player. To me, that speaks volumes to the depth they have. There was very little drop off. That depth paid off as Highlands kept up the pressure in the 2nd and Cooper wore down a little, just enough.

 

Cooper was game tonight for sure. Great effort from them. Their physicality messed w the Birds flow for the first 20 minutes or so. I liked what they gave.

Agreed. The next month should be interesting for both teams as they find their rhythm going forward.

I had mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Highlands was a deep team, but without that All State caliber attacker. Welp, he's back and working his way into full match fitness. Porter just looks different than other players when he dribbles at defenders. He's going to expand the dynamic.

 

Coach Niedert has this group that every player is basically on the same level, but all bring something different. They have a possession group, a stretch the backline group, and a deadball winners group. With his and his staff's ability to find line-ups, they have a chance to really cause other coaches headaches preparing for them. They haven't even messed with a different formation yet. Thursday and Saturday will tell us a ton of what this team can really be.

It was a hard fought game. I was really impressed with Cooper’s defense.