Hounds win sets up clash with Washington

FORT MADISON – The Fort Madison Bloodhounds have set up a clash for the Southeast Conference lead Thursday after shutting out Mt. Pleasant 6-0 in boys soccer action Tuesday night.
The Hounds were coming off an unprecedented four-game losing streak including SEC losses to Burlington and Fairfield.
Fort Madison is also dealing with substantial injuries to key players including Noah Swigart, Henry Graham, and Oliver Santiago who rotates in the net with Conner Gehling.
Next up is Washington who comes to town on Thursday for a game at Baxter Sports Complex. The Demons are one game in front of Fort Madison in conference play at 5-1. The Hounds are 4-2 after Tuesday’s win and are 7-6 overall. The Demons carry a nice 8-2 mark on the season.
On Monday, senior Leif Boeding got the scoring started with a penalty kick eight minutes into the match. His second penalty goal in two days.
Mario Gomez Guttierez then scored back-to-back goals - the first on assists from Boeding and Jan de Gracia Hernandez and the second from Boeding with 10 minutes left in the half. Boeding would get another shot on goal to convert with less than a minute left to take the Bloodhounds to a 4-0 lead at the half.
Boeding would get the hat trick at the 23-minute mark of the second half and Connor Horn would wrap up the scoring with a shot off a pass from Hernandez with 13 minutes left in the match.
Gehling would record three saves to preserve the shutout. Hernandez and Boeding each had two assists.
Fort Madison won the junior varsity contest 3-2. Horn scored twice and Russell Chaknine had a goal in the win.