This Saturday was the Gull Lake Invitational which proved to be a real test for the JV Boys Soccer Team.

It was a double header against two very good teams in Gull Lake HS and Holland High. The boys played the first game against Gull Lake and came out looking very good. The teamwork and ball movement helped the Eagles create some chances and control the ball. However, Gull Lake was also very good in this respect. The match was even for a long time before Gull Lake broke the tie with a break away. The defensive group of Abel denDulk, Isaac Williams, U'Maree Talley, Ryan Lautenbach, and Oscar Tholen showed good resilience, but some lapses in concentration in the last five minutes created two quick goals to finish the first game with a 3-0 loss.

As the heat built, the Eagles came out for the second game against Holland High School. Another very good team, the fatigue began to show for Grand Rapids Christian. It became hard to control the ball as Holland swarmed every time we had the ball and scored 15 minutes into the first half. 

The second half the Eagles changed the approach to be more direct to try and get the ball into the opponents box. It was working and they created some decent chances. Again, fatigue sat in, but good showings from Arie Nol, Nate Evenhouse, and Ty Erickson created some opportunities. Holland scored again shortly later, but Isaac Williams brought one back off a free kick. The game ended with Holland winning a penalty and slotting away for a 3-1 loss.

The boys will get some rest before the next match against Portage Central on Tuesday!