Hayward tops Spooner soccer girls

SPOONER — In Heart O’ North girls soccer on April 9, the Hayward Hurricanes defeated the Spooner Rails 2-0. Hayward grabbed their 2-0 advantage in the first half of the contest, with the second half of the game being scoreless.

The loss dropped the Rail girls to 0-3 to start the season, with previous defeats of 11-0 at Ashland on April 4 and 3-0 against Amery on April 5.

“We started the game well but then kind of lost our stride and gave up a couple of goals that we wish we could have had back,” said coach Nick Merkt. “In the second half, we reset mentally and started to create a few chances to score. The reality is that we have a lot of young, new-to-soccer players that are doing their best to learn the game while playing varsity soccer.

“I look forward to coaching this team and having them grow each day. We’ve got some great leadership out of our seniors, Natalie Vosberg, Stella Weaver, Elisha Skulzacek and Toni Mattie. We will continue to grow!”

On Friday, April 19, the Rails will host St. Croix Falls at 5 p.m. On Tuesday, April 23, Spooner will host Washburn in a 5 p.m. game. The three-game home stand continues for the Rails on Thursday, April 25, when they host Ashland in a 5 p.m. start.