School may not start until Monday morning, Aug. 26, but the Summit High School boys soccer team hosted the first fall sporting event of the year on Tiger Field, facing off against Conifer High School, on Thursday, Aug. 22. 

After beginning JJ Bosgraaf’s head-coaching era last fall with four losses, Summit took the field in its forest-green jerseys on a stormy Thursday night determined to secure an early season win. 

Within the first two minutes of play, Summit drove down the field and quickly fired two shots that threatened the Conifer Lobos. Feeling the Lobos on their haunches early, the Tigers clamped down by continuing to infiltrate the offensive zone and set up scoring opportunities. 

After keeping several shots from finding the back of the net, Conifer flipped the field to test junior goaltender Johan Gomez for the first time of the night. Gomez moved into a position to make a save, and the shot barely sailed high of the goal, keeping the game tied at 0-0 for the time being.

After several back-and-forth possessions, the ball found the foot of senior Nico Novotny, who used his speed to break down the field through the Conifer defense and chip a shot into the twine of the net. Novotny celebrated the first Summit goal of the season with a backwards flip, pulsing more energy into the crowd.

Feeling the momentum course through the stadium, Summit put up a strong defensive front as Conifer searched for an equalizer. Leading 1-0 at the midway point of the half, Summit senior Juan Varon broke down the field in an attempt to score a second goal, but the opportunity was kept wide.

After nearly 17 minutes of play, Conifer recorded its first shot on net, giving Gomez some activity and practice. 

In the waning moments of the opening half, Summit and Conifer both had chances to score. On one opportunity, Novotny sliced at a ball in midair, but the ball glanced off a Conifer player and out of bounds.  

Summit went into halftime with a 1-0 lead. 

Similar to the first, 40-minute half, Summit was quick to challenge Conifer. Wanting to extend the Tigers’ lead, junior Seth Montgomery fired a shot on net from about 10-yards away, but the shot was wrapped up by the Lobos’ goalie.

In desperate need of an equalizer, Conifer took possession of the ball about eight-minutes into the half and sent a fiery shot towards Gomez. The ball sailed high above Gomez, tying the game at 1-1.

Instead of letting the allowed goal to bog down the team, Summit immediately rushed down the field to set up chances for senior Ryder Nazzarine and other Summit players to attack the net. Summit sent a flurry of shots at the net, but the shots flew high of the goal or were defended by Conifer.

However, the Tigers refused to be discouraged by being kept scoreless, peppering the Lobos’ goalie with shots and sending centering passes on the goal’s doorstep. With under 20 minutes remaining, Conifer sprinted after a loose ball enroute to its goal, but a slide tackle from senior Reece Bosgraaf sent the ball safely out of play.

Although the foot race did not result in a goal, the slightest scent of a go-ahead goal awakened the Conifer offense, resulting in more pressure in front of the net. After fighting off the advances from Conifer, Summit cinched down on offense, firing shots and preventing the ball from exiting the zone.

With around nine minutes remaining, Summit’s relentless pursuit for a game-winning goal came to fruition with Montgomery sending a missile of a shot past Conifer. The goal carried Summit to the final buzzer, withstanding a Conifer shot that bounced off the goalpost with close to a minute remaining. 

Summit defeated Conifer 2-1 for the season-opening win.

“Before the game, we decided that our motto for the season was gong to be ‘together’,” JJ Bosgraaf said. “We have to do absolutely everything together. … It is high school soccer. Every game is going to be close, and we gave up a great goal from Conifer. Luckily, we got to score too. I am super excited — excited for the boys.”

After beginning last season with a record of 0-4, the win is a huge step in the right direction for the Summit boys soccer program and its mission to return to the playoffs.

“The results will be what they are and they will be what we deserve,” Bosgraaf said. “If we put the effort in and we play well in the final third, we will get the results. I think our scrimmage against Air Academy was a really good setup to play at the right level and level of intensity. … We will rally the whole locker room, take our rest day tomorrow and be ready for Saturday.”

Summit will now prepare for its game against Rangeview High School on Saturday, Aug. 24, at 11 a.m. The game against the Class 5A team will feature the return of former Summit High School boys soccer coach Victor Strouse who coached from 1981-86.