Blue Jays end senior night with win No. 9 on Tuesday
Sep. 19—JAMESTOWN — Blue Jay seniors Ryan Larson, Louis Kjellberg and Connor Traut had every reason to not like playing at Rotary Field in seventh grade.
"Going in as goalie against some good competition that was pretty nerve-wracking at first," Larson said.
"I'd say my first memory playing here was getting laid out by a senior playing JV as a seventh grader," Kjellberg said.
"I was just terrified because everyone was like seven feet tall and I was 4-foot-2 in seventh grade," Traut said with a laugh.
While playing at Rotary started off a bit rocky, this year's seniors have shared plenty of good memories at the team's home field — one of the last of which came on Tuesday night.
The seniors helped the Blue Jays end the team's regular season, home schedule with a 1-0 defeat of Bismarck Century. The Blue Jays have three games left in the regular season, the first of which is scheduled to be held on Thursday at Bismarck High.
"Time just kind of flew," Traut said. "Tonight felt nostalgic in a way. It was a good feeling but it was kind of surreal. Getting a win felt good. That's the note you want to end your senior year at home. Everyone got the job done."
The Jays wasted no time getting things started in the first half. Traut scored the team's first goal of the game in the sixth minute. The Blue Jay senior captain capitalized on a pass from Gabe Jenison and sent the ball past Century goalkeeper James Lee, to break the ice. It was the first of 12 shots the Blue Jays would make on goal.
The Blue Jays outshot the Patriots 12-1.
While no more games will be held at Rotary Field this year, the Jays aren't wasting time being nostalgic just yet.
"We need to be more dynamic in the attacking third," Traut said of how the Blue Jays can continue winning. "We're getting predictable and people are catching on to what we do so we just have to be more creative."
The Blue Jays have been to the state qualifying round of the regional tournament for the last three years but have not made it past the qualifying round.
This year's WDA tournament is scheduled to be held the first week in October. The final round will be held at the Sanford Sports Complex in Bismarck on Oct. 7. The 2023 State Tournament is set to be held Oct. 12-14 at the Bismarck Community Bowl.
While the state tourney would be the end of Kjellberg's and Larson's soccer careers, Traut is planning on competing at the next level. At this point, the senior has been playing soccer for 13 years.
"I was in a lot of sports at a young age just to stay active," Traut said. "Right away soccer wasn't something that I enjoyed. I was more into basketball because that is what my dad did and I wanted to pursue what he did at first. Over time I kind of gradually lost the love for basketball and found it in soccer."
Traut has traditionally been in the midfield for the Blue Jays. He's a fifth-year varsity team member. Last year, he was responsible for an assist while this year he's been credited with six goals and one assist.
After his prep season ends, Traut said he is planning on practicing in the off-season before settling in at the University of Jamestown where he has committed to play collegiate-level soccer Traut officially committed to the Jimmies on June 7.
"It will just be a lot of preparation," Traut said. "Body-prep and practice, practice practice. I've been up with the UJ guys the past couple of summers practicing with them. I am excited to get started but right now, the only goal on my mind is that state tournament. We want to win out, we don't want to lose a game."
Jamestown 1, Century 0
BC 0 0 — 0
JHS 1 0 — 1
Scoring
First half
1. JHS, Connor Traut (Gabe Jenison), 6th minute.
Second half
No scoring.
Goalkeeper saves: Century, James Lee, 11; Jamestown, Grant Lunde, 1
Shots on goal: Century 1; Jamestown 12
