As Park won with another shutout against Robbinsdale Cooper, which brought their record to 3-1-0, the team reflected that it was a difficult game. 

According to Junior Nicholas Kent, it was a tough match for the team. However, they played smart together and kept the play under control. 

“We struggled at times, but throughout the game we were connecting passes, playing well and together,” Kent said. “We played a strong game overall.”

According to assistant coach Pat Hartman, the team scored immediately, which brought their spirits up and helped them keep a shutout against Robbinsdale Cooper.

“We scored a number of goals early in the first half,” Hartman said. “We tried to control the half and wanted the guys to preserve the shutout, which they did. I’m pretty happy about that.” 

Junior Claudy Zua said the team’s emphasis on communication and interaction was helpful during the game.

“The game went pretty well because we were doing a really good job of communicating and playing through the game,” Zua said.

According to Kent, the boys were moving off the ball well to create better chances and finish good, which led the team to score more goals.  

“We connected a couple of passes in the back and then we played up the line and we had a good finish across the box,” Kent said. 

To prepare to play against Robbinsdale Cooper, Hartman said the team scrimmaged a lot during practice to help them develop strategies for a real game situation. 

“We’ve been playing a lot of small-sided games and a lot of possession. Towards the end, we were trying to hold the ball and keep it from the other team,” Hartman said. “We were trying to carry what we do in practice out on the field.”

According to Kent, having one game this week motivated the team to prepare more for the game.

“We didn’t play on Tuesday, so we were kind of working hard at practice and playing how we hope to play in a game,” Kent said.

The next game will be 5 p.m. Sept. 15 at the St. Louis Park Stadium against Bloomington Jefferson.