Rough outing for Arlington cant put damper on successful season

Coach Mike Gudgeon has done a tremendous job all season with the Arlington boys soccer team. His group has moved up from the bottom of the Wesco North standings in years past to this years competitive bunch.
The talent has grown in the group as well, with a number of superlative individual performances during the year. However, there is still a long road ahead for the team as they compete in one of the toughest conferences in one of the best soccer states in the nation.
The May 8 game against Shorecrest provided a stern reminder that Arlington must continue to raise its game to compete with the top local teams. Shorecrest came into the game ranked No. 1 on the west coast for boys spring soccer and No. 3 nationally in the latest poll. They hadnt lost a league match all season coming into the game and they didnt look beatable by midway through the first half.
Arlington was playing with a depleted roster due to academic issues and injury, but even at full strength it would have been a tall order to take down such a powerful club.
By halftime of the game, Shorecrest led 6-0, and they tallied five more goals in the second half to dominate the game. Despite the loss, Arlington should not be discouraged. They got to play against the probable best team in the state and they had a match again on May 10 against Lynnwood.
Arlington goalkeeper Keith Bayer noted that the team needs to improve their marking in the back to compete with Lynnwood.
Weve got to communicate more and better.
Arlington did turn things around in the Lynnwood game, despite losing 1-0. The final score gives a much better indication of Arlingtons stepping-stone year than the previous games defeat. Regardless of the outcome of the game with Lynnwood, Arlington still would have had plenty to be proud of from this season, but they really showed their mettle in brushing off the tough Shoreline defeat and competed for 80 minutes against another one of the top teams on the west side of the state.
Gudgeon rallied his troops back to respectability in the league this year and will look to continue that trend with the young players moving forward toward next season.

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