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Light it up

Minot High puts on scoring clinic in 6-0 win over Jamestown

Justin Martinez/MDN Minot High junior Noah Schmidt sends the ball downfield as a Jamestown defender closes in during a high school soccer match against the Blue Jays Thursday at the Optimist Soccer Complex.

With the net exposed, Jordin Lennon took his shot.

The Minot High boys soccer team found itself with an early corner kick in the seventh minute of its home match against Jamestown on Thursday night. Senior Cody Burke collected the lob and launched it toward the net, only to see Jamestown goalkeeper Jay Kupitz lay out for a deflecting save.

But the ball went straight to Lennon, who now had a clean look from one foot out as the goalkeeper struggled to get back on his feet in time. The freshman capitalized, chipping it in for the easy goal.

Kupitz grabbed the ball afterwards and slammed it on the ground in frustration as Lennon and company celebrated. It wouldn’t be the last time the Magicians found the back of the net.

Minot High left no doubt on Thursday, defeating Jamestown, 6-0, in a match that might as well have been played with only half the field. The Blue Jays found themselves on the defense all night, rarely getting the ball past midfield for an attack of their own.

“It’s really encouraging to know that our guys are finding out who they are as we get into the more stressful time of the season,” MHS head coach Creighton Bachmeier said. “This is who we want to be.”

After Lennon drew first blood, it was Zakory Wagner who added to the Magi’s lead in similar fashion. The senior found himself in the perfect spot as he gathered a deflected ball from the left side and sent it into the goal during the 23rd minute.

It took 15 minutes for the Magi to find the back of the net again as Burke collected a perfect pass from Lennon and put it past Kupitz for the score, giving Minot High a commanding 3-0 lead at halftime.

“We wanted to get out to a fast start, so it felt good to build a lead,” Lennon said. “I thought we had a lot of good movement off the ball, and having that 3-0 lead at the half was almost like a safety net for us.”

The Magi kept their foot on the gas in the second half, scoring another three goals as Jamestown struggled to find an answer for Minot’s attacks. The Magi finished with 22 shots (15 on goal) to Jamestown’s two shots (both on goal) as they cruised to the 6-0 victory.

The win is a crucial one for a Minot High team (6-4-1, 5-3-1) that’s still fighting for seeding in the West Region playoff race with just one game left in its regular season. The Magi are currently two points behind Bismarck High for the coveted two seed, which comes with an automatic birth in the state tournament.

“It’s key to get three points this time of the year,” Bachmeier said. “We’re still going after that two seed, but we’re also trying to lock in that three seed as well. It’s going to be fun as we go down the stretch.”

Amongst those challenging Minot High for the three seed is Mandan, who the Magi are hosting Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. It’ll be a dramatic finish to the regular season, and the Magi are looking forward to it.

“It’s a big game,” Lennon said. “We’re going to have to move well without the ball and finish just like we did tonight. We’re in a good place right now.”

Justin Martinez covers Minot High School and

Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JTheSportsDude.

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