By Terry Douglass
terry.douglass@theindependent.com

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Independent/Scott Kingsley Senior High's Derek Beisner (left) and Ky Molholm can't get the ball away from Columbus' Tony Linder during their game at Fonner Park. Columbus won 1-0. Independent/Scott Kingsley Senior High goalie Mikayla Walsh collides with Columbus' Rashay Wright during the second half at Fonner Park. The Islanders fell 2-0. Click Thumbnails to View

Outshot by the Islanders, Columbus (7-1) scored the lone goal of the game in the 64th minute as Dustin Groteluschen drilled a shot through a small gap and just off the gloves of Grand Island goalie Stephen Knudsen. Despite GISH (3-5) having several opportunities to tie in the closing minutes, Groteluschen's goal wound up the difference in a 1-0 victory.

"The kid made a brilliant shot," Grand Island coach Jeremy Jensen said. "We set a four-person wall and Columbus had a guy that was in the wall who ducked out of it and the ball went right through where he was at and Stephen got his gloves on it, but just wasn't quite able to corral it.

"It's amazing that you can play 80 minutes of soccer and it just comes down to that."

With the exception of the one goal, Knudsen and the Islander defenders put together a solid performance against the state-rated Discoverers.

"Defensively, I thought everybody played great," Jensen said. "We were hard in practice on defense of communicating so we can hold our shape and not get out of position. The guys have done a great job of doing that all season, really."

Grand Island, which had a shot bang solidly off the post earlier in the game, nearly tied the score several times in the closing minutes. That included a header by an Islander that bounced off the cross bar.

"The last 10 minutes, it was just a flurry we were really attacking well," Jensen said. "We had one shot hit the post, another go just wide, but that's what we're working on a lot in practice right now.

"I keep telling the kids that at this point in the season, I'm not going to be able to teach them anything new, so we've got to refine our skills at putting the ball in the net. We were a little unlucky today, but you can't say that affected the outcome. We've just got to get better and execute."

Jensen praised the Islanders for arguably their most aggressive offensive effort of the season, even though they couldn't find the net.

"We had an awful lot of shots we're finally getting them to pull the trigger," Jensen said. "It takes a little bit of convincing sometimes with these kids because we want to tell them that they're powerful enough to go ahead and kick a ball 20 yards. We're starting to do that."

Jensen said Eric Jacobo and freshman midfielder Logan Mendez, who was recently moved up from the junior varsity and into a starting role, performed well. Grand Island again played without the services of four starters who were suspended due to a violation of team rules.

"It was an unfortunate situation that happened with some of our starters, but I don't want to use that as an excuse for the kids who are out there playing," Jensen said.

"We still expect to play well and win and some of these young kids like Logan have stepped in and really solidified a roster spot.

"The way our chemistry looks right now, it might be hard for those (suspended) kids to get back into the starting lineup. They'll surely play because they're talented, but chemistry-wise, we've got something going out there and I don't want to mess that up."

* GIRLS

Columbus 2, GISH 0

The injury bug simply won't leave the Grand Island Senior High girls soccer team alone as the banged up Islanders lost another player at least temporarily in a shutout loss to Columbus.

Already with three players competing at less than full speed due to injuries, one player out with an injury and another player serving a suspension, Grand Island (1-7) lost goalie Ali Higgins with five minutes left in the first half. Higgins suffered a blow to the back and did not return.

"It just keeps snowballing and snowballing," Grand Island coach Chuck DeWitt said. "But the girls are fighting hard. They're digging."

With Higgins out, the Islanders moved defender Mikayla Walsh to goalie. DeWitt said the junior played well, but may have also sustained an injury.

"Mikayla probably hasn't played goal since her freshman year, but she stepped up and made some really nice saves," DeWitt said. "Unfortunately, now we've got to check her out for an injury, so things just don't seem to change."

In terms of a bright spot, DeWitt said sophomore Sara Robbins performed well after being called on to replace Walsh as a defender.

"Sara came in and did just a great job," DeWitt said. "She hasn't played a lot this year, but she came in and really went after it. That's what we're looking for."

Columbus (5-1) went ahead 1-0 at the 17:18 mark when Danielle Archuleta was credited with a score on a corner kick that caromed into the Grand Island goal after bounding off of an Islander player. With GISH pressing up late in the game, Archuleta scored a second goal at 77:48.

"We're still reeling from a lot of things going on internally and externally," DeWitt said. "We've got to bust something loose here pretty soon.

"We're still trying to get these girls pumped up enough to come out and ready to play. That's my job as coach and that's what I'm trying to do."