ALTON 2, BELLEVILLE EAST 1 (AFTER EXTRA TIME): Dillon Cowan and Chad Fournie scored as Alton won its Southwestern Conference opener over East at Charlie Woodford Field.
Cowan also picked up an assist, while Patrick Henesey made two saves to cinch the three points for the Redbirds.
Alton Head Boys Coach Greg Nasello was beyond excited at the performance of his Redbirds, who have started the season with several strong performances.
“It took us until the last game of the conference season last year to win a game and now we won this one early,” he said after the match. “It was a huge win. The boys were excited and I was proud of our coaching staff for the win.”
Nasello said it was hard to select individual standouts in the game because everyone on the Redbirds squad contributed to the victory.
“I give it all back to the players,” he said. “They do the work. Our team has a different aura on the field so far this year. We have found a way to win in three of our four matches.”
Alton is now 3-1-0, while the Lancers are 1-2-0.
Alton boys soccer faces Edwardsville at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, at Edwardsville, in a match of big rivals.
Nasello said he is excited to play Edwardsville and see how his team will fare this year against the always-tough Tigers under Coach Mark Heiderscheid.
