JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Blue Jays boys soccer team opened its season on Friday, August 16, with a dominant 3-0 victory over the Mandan Braves at the Jays’ Rotary Field.
The Blue Jays got off to a blazing start when they drew a penalty 10 seconds into the game and Iddi Ramadhani stepped up to the penalty spot and fired one into the bottom left corner to give his team a 1-0 lead. The Jays doubled their lead later in the first half when Gabe Halko fired a low ball from the edge of the box into the bottom left corner to make it 2-0.
“I take my time, just choose a side, stay calm, that’s all,” Ramadhani said of his penalty strategy.
In the first half, the Blue Jays dominated the scoring and had more shots on goal than the Braves (6:1).
The teams traded blows in the second half, but the Blue Jays won the game when Gabe Halko fired a shot into the top corner to give his team a 3-0 lead.
“I think it helped us solidify our goals,” Blue Jays head coach Brandi Harty said. “But because it was so late, it gave our team a boost toward the end. So that was important, too.”
Overall, the Blue Jays had more shots on goal than the Braves (16:2). The game was very physical, as the Jays (1:0) had four yellow cards and 12 fouls and the Braves (0:1) had one yellow card and four fouls.
The Blue Jays return to the field on Saturday, August 17th at 3:00 p.m. when they travel to Dickinson.
MHS 0, JHS 3
MHS: 0 0–0
JHS: 2 1–3
Points games:
First half:
JHS: Iddi Ramadhani, 39:43
JHS: Gabe Halko, 20:45
Second half:
JHS: Ian Lere, 13:50
Goalkeeper duel:
MHS: Tyler Moe: 13 saves on 16 shots, three goals conceded
JHS: Grant Lunde: two saves on two shots on goal, not a single goal conceded
Hello,
My name is Max O’Neill. I’m a sports reporter for The Jamestown Sun. I’m a native New Yorker and a 2020 graduate of Ithaca College with a degree in television and radio.
