Cardinals experience deja vu in 2-1 home win

The Newton boys soccer team experienced some deja vu against on Tuesday night.

Landon Bozarth and Aiden Robson both scored goals in a 2-1 win for the second straight match. And the Cardinals trailed 1-0 against Boone and Ballard in back-to-back contests.

Bozarth’s goal against the Bombers also was a penalty kick, the same way he scored against the Toreadors on Thursday.

“I give credit to our guys for getting back in it after being down again, but we are frustrated with our starts,” Newton head boys soccer coach Zach Jensen said. “We got bailed out by the PK, and then we picked things up. We need them to start that way.”

All three Newton wins this season have been 2-1 scores. The Cardinals (3-4-2) have won two straight and three of their last four matches after starting the season 0-3-2.

Ballard (4-4-1) led 1-0 following its goal in the 13th minute. Bozarth was fouled in the box before converting the PK in the 21st minute.

Robson’s game-winning goal came in the 38th minute off an assist from Bozarth, who leads the team with five assists this spring. It was Robson’s team-leading third goal, too.

“We should have scored a few more goals,” Jensen said. “We only put 10 of our 24 shots on frame. We need more focus in the final third.”

Jensen said the coaching staff tweaked the defensive backfield a bit and liked the result.

“Our back line of David Wickett, Micah Mattes, Parker Kennedy, Kent Montgomery and Henry Allen played their best game of the season,” Jensen said.

Javin Doland made six saves in the win and now has 109 for the season, which ranks fifth in the state and second in Class 3A.

Notes: Christian Buchli returned from an injury and made his season debut for the Cardinals. ... Newton and Ballard played for just the second time since 2019.