Raiders pound Lions 5-2

Brandon Heim had two goals and one assist, Randy Freeman and Jimmy Bormolini each assisted on each other’s goals, and Logan Longwell added a goal as the Immaculata boys’ soccer team outshot Cair Paravel 35-8 on their way to a 5-2 win — their second in a row to start the season — at the Leavenworth Soccer Association complex on Tuesday afternoon.

“We’ve improved, just since the last game, I’d say at least 50 percent,” IHS head coach Frank Mazeitis said. “We worked on our spacing and everything in our defense, and the kids kept to it ... and our support from the midfielders helped today. It was much better than it was the first game.”

IHS never trailed Tuesday, jumping on top in the seventh minute when Bormolini got on the run down the right side and pounded it into the center of the net to the left of Lions’ goalkeeper Nathaniel Boggs. It was Bormolini’s sixth goal in just two games.

The Raiders made it 2-0 when Heim chipped a pass from the right side of the box intended for Freeman that got over his head, but it found Longwell unmarked at the 6-yard line for his first goal in an IHS uniform.

Cair Paravel (0-2) fought back immediately, however. With wind gusts of more than 20 MPH at their backs, they scored less than three minutes after Longwell’s goal when Grayson Stewart got on the run down the right side and put it in the far left corner. The Lions then had multiple opportunities to tie it, including an instance where Stewart was on a breakaway about to pull up for the shot before he had it taken away from behind by Ben Fisher, but it was Grayson who struck again when he received a pass right in front of the net and put it in to make it 2-2 with less than two minutes before halftime.

“We had a couple lapses on defense,” Mazeitis said.

It looked like the Lions would take the momentum to the intermission, but Heim scored just seconds beforehand to take the lead back after stealing the ball in the backfield and pulling up for a shot into the center of the net just under the crossbar. Heim again pulled up from long range early in the second half for his second goal of the game and the season. He pounded it right at Boggs, but it tailed to the right and got past him on the dive to make it 4-2.

Freeman scored his fourth goal of the year five minutes later when he received a pass right in front of the net and knocked it through Boggs’ feet to provide the final score. It stayed that way thanks in part to the goalkeeping of Jacob O’Neil, who kept Stewart from a hat trick when he made a diving save on a breakaway.

“That was a very, very good save,” Mazeitis said.

Mazeitis also said his bench players had a crucial role in Tuesday’s game as they filled in for starters who had minor injuries or were exhausted from the heat. The game-time temperatures was 98 degrees.

“We got very good support from our bench,” Mazeitis said. “People were out giving good quality time ... especially Ben Fisher, Logan (Longwell), Van (Nine), and Freddie Pekrul. Those four were very instrumental.”

IHS will play again at Kansas City East next Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

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