Regardless of sport, a team always strives to start fast and finish strong. Then, it’s always necessary for a team to balance those lopsided decisions with narrow victories, to be prepared for the road ahead.

The Webster City boys’ soccer team enjoyed a romp last Thursday, routing Iowa Falls-Alden by way of a 10-0 result in a North Central Conference matchup held last Thursday. The No. 4-ranked (Class 2A) Lynx then got tougher when the going got tough, defeating Fort Dodge via a 6-5 (3-1) score through penalty kicks last Friday.

Both the NCC finale against the Cadets and the nonconference fixture against the Dodgers took place at Lynx Field in Webster City.

Sophomore Eddy Fuentes continued his scoring tirade, putting two scores against the Cadets, before going off on the Dodgers with four goals. Fuentes’ four-goal performance was the driving force behind the Lynx’s six goal output.

Senior Everardo Hernandez was unstoppable against Iowa Falls-Alden, racking up four goals and an assist.

However, it came down to junior Eduardo Perez. Perez had two huge performances, recording two goals and an assist against the Cadets, before netting a penalty kick, scoring in the second round of penalty kicks and denying Fort Dodge on three separate occasions to seal the Lynx victory.

Pushing their current win streak to 11 consecutive matches, the Lynx improved to 12-1 overall and finished 11-1 in league play.

Due to their 2-1 victory over Humboldt on April 27, the Lynx have clinched at least a share of the conference title. The No. 5 (Class 3A) Wildcats still have one more league match to play, hosting Hampton-Dumont-CAL at 5 p.m. in Humboldt.

The purple and gold side now standby for their next opponent, hosting the winner of Aplington-Parkersburg and New Hampton in the second round of the Class 2A-Substate 2 Tournament, scheduled for next Monday at Lynx Field in Webster City.

On Thursday, the Lynx closed out the Cadets by the 62nd minute, thanks to the mercy rule. Along with Hernandez, Fuentes and Perez, senior midfielder Adan Perez scored in the 55th minute.

Freshman Magdiel Magdaleno compiled three assists, while sophomore Eric Calles Torres was credited with one. Senior goalkeeper Jon Magdaleno captured his fourth clean sheet of the season.

Hernandez also came away with two assists against the Dodgers on Friday, while sophomore Connor Peck and Calles Torres sealed the Lynx’s victory by scoring in the penalty kick rounds.