Huron makes Manner's strike hold up in 1-0 shutout of Perkins

HURON — Huron coach Matt Asher knew that Cam Manner and Charlie Norwell would be his main forwards this fall. What he was less certain of was what their output would be. They were a JV tandem in 2021, effective at that level but unproven at the varsity level. "It's been a big adjustment with better players," Manner said. But any questions about that unit were answered emphatically by a first-half Manner blast from outside the box, the only goal Friday night. "That's gonna build his confidence a lot," Huron midfielder Chris Heidl said. The sophomore Manner's strike -- his first varsity goal -- stood up as Huron's defense put together a 1-0 shutout of Perkins (0-1) at Memorial Stadium. Will Parcher made a couple key saves in goal to ensure the lead would stand up. "This will be big momentum for us moving forward this season," Manner said. For the second consecutive year, the Tigers (1-0) put up a clean sheet on the opening night of the season against the Pirates. This time, Manner gave them the goal needed to turn a draw into a win. "This is gonna boost our confidence," Heidl said, "because Perkins is a good team." The first 25 minutes were a bit roughshod. Both teams were finding their footing in the game less than two weeks after official practices began. Veteran goalies Noah Normington-Slay and Parcher ensured that unlikely chances didn't become any more than that, both charging out of their goals to deny opportunities. But with 15 minutes until halftime, Huron's dynamic midfielder Heidl pushed the ball up the center of the pitch before dishing to Manner's feet. "I saw that he was completely unmarked, and I knew he could score from there," Heidl said. Manner received the ball with his back to goal about 25 yards out and turned gracefully onto his right foot. He took one hard touch to push the ball wide, then blasted his shot into the left corner. "It was a fantastic shot," Asher said. "I've been telling him he's been taking too much time to take a shot. He listened to me and he took it quick, and he hammered it in, a very important one in." As it turned out, that was the only goal Huron needed, but the game wasn't without its drama. Early in the second half, Dylan Swander made a sharp cut inside the 18-yard box and was brought down, giving Perkins a penalty. Pirates keeper Noah Normington-Slay, the best ball striker on the squad who has won every preseason penalty shootout from the spot, took the spot kick, but he left this one high. "I know it looks odd," Perkins coach Paul Lea said, "but we've had five or six penalty shootouts as a team, and he's won every single one… The boys on the field were asking for him, and I think he'll rally." Huron's main worry the rest of the way was denying the older Normington-Slay brother, Jon. Alternating between the right and left wings, Normington-Slay was the most consistently dangerous player on the pitch. He could beat defenders to the end line with his pace on the right while cutting inside onto his stronger foot from the left. Normington-Slay forced Parcher into multiple saves. "Jon, despite the result, was the best player on the field, and I think that's gonna be the case for a lot of games this year," Lea said. "He was electric in the first half. It didn't matter what side he was on. He was cooking." Parcher's biggest stop came with 20 minutes to play, when a through ball sent Normington-Slay into a central position before Parcher stuck his left hand up to paw the attempt wide. "I fully trust Will 100 percent," Asher said. Perkins' wide defenders pushed into attacking areas more in the closing stages, which helped the Pirates' keep the ball near Huron's goal. But the Tigers held firm. A big piece of Huron's defensive performance was the play of holding midfielders Luke Rager, a senior, and Jackson Gray, a sophomore. They found their way into passing lanes and made clean tackles to win the ball back throughout the night. "Our midfield in general has a lot of talent," Asher said. "Our boys work their butts off." Jared Lenczyk finished the night off for Huron with a nifty move to beat a defender before running to the far corner to tick off the remaining seconds. "We were starting to get tired, and Perkins was pressing and pressing and pressing, but they never stopped," Asher said. "I'm so proud of them." The Tigers graduated 15 seniors from last year's squad, a few of whom watched the game Friday from Huron's bench area. Asher suggested this group could be even better than the 2021 variety, if they could find their goals. On opening night, Manner proved himself capable, and the Tigers will carry that energy forward. "This one's a really good one," Asher said. "... We haven't had much time to practice, so I'm really proud of them."