The Class B No. 5 Blair High School girls soccer team closed out its regular season schedule Tuesday with a 3-0 road win at Elkhorn.
It was freshman Beau Wendt's birthday. She celebrated it with a 30-yard shot and goal during the first half, breaking a scoreless tie.
“I just took it, like, 'Why not? It's a birthday day,'” Wendt said. “'Let's go for it.'”
The Bears ultimately improved to 12-2 with the victory, while the Antlers enter subdistrict play with a 9-6 record. Both teams will compete during the Class B Subdistrict 2 Tournament, which starts Saturday. Top-seeded BHS hosts either Elkhorn North or Omaha Concordia on Monday at 5 p.m.
First, though, the Eastern Midlands Conference squads played one last regular schedule match on Elkhorn's turf. After a notably Brooklyn Schroeter save in the 20th minute, her teammate, Wendt, scored Blair's first goal during the 21st. Her 30-yard boot zipped through the leaping EHS goalkeeper's mitts and into the net.
“I felt like I had space, and I've just been really confident with my shot lately,” Wendt said.
After halftime, coach Nick Hall's Bears added two more quick goals for the 3-0 margin. First, sophomore Kaitlynn O'Neil found herself with the ball at her feet front-and-center in front of the goal, finishing it for the 2-0 lead.
Then, 6 minutes into the second half, freshman Cadence Field kicked the ball past the keeper, too. The goal was her 26th of the season and her team's 81st overall.
O'Neil and Brynn Ray were credited with goals in the match.
Now, Wendt said BHS is “very” ready for postseason play.
“We have very strong players and athletes,” she said, noting how the Bears are prepared to take on any and every challenge ahead.
BHS SOCCER LINE SCORE
Tuesday
No. 5 Blair 3, Elkhorn 0
BHS (12-2) 1 2 — 3
EHS (9-6) 0 0 — 0
Scoring: BHS — Beau Wendt 1, Kaitlynn O'Neil 1, Cadence Field 1. Winning goalkeeper: Brooklyn Schroeter.
