It didn’t take the Albert Lea High School boys’ soccer team long to match last year’s win total.

Wednesday, August 29, 2001

It didn’t take the Albert Lea High School boys’ soccer team long to match last year’s win total.

The Tigers did in their season opener, defeating Owatonna 2-1 in a Big Nine game at Hammer Field Tuesday night.

Josh Johnson and Jamie Schreiber got the goals for Albert Lea, with assists going to Hector Ortiz and Josh Kasper. Eric Hutchison was the goalie. Albert Lea outshot Owatonna 22-18.

&uot;I was real happy with our first game,&uot; said ALHS coach Jim Haun. &uot;There are some things we need to work on, but I was especially pleased with the defense and the way our forwards played.&uot;

Jeremy Jacobson, Jason Christianson, Ryan Lowe and Brady Plantage anchored the defense, according to Haun, while Johnson and freshman Nate Lombardi played well at forward.

&uot;I’m looking forward to Thursday,&uot; said Haun of the Tigers’ 7 p.m. game against Rochester Century. &uot;We’ll get a couple seniors for that game who didn’t play tonight because they hadn’t practiced enough. I think we’ll take it up a notch against Century.&uot;

The junior varsity lost 4-2 to Owatonna while the ninth-grade fell 6-1.