Key players for the Kadena Panthers boys soccer team are becoming better acquainted with a doctor’s office than the soccer field.

The two-time defending Far East Class AA champions are missing two starters and two others are playing hurt.

But despite having only 13 healthy players and using a makeshift lineup, the Panthers opened the season with three victories in five days, outscoring opponents 7-1.

Injuries, said Panthers assistant coach John Reay, “can bring a team down. But it’s early in the season.”

Junior goalkeeper Ted Awana will miss about three weeks after cutting his hand and arm on glass. Sophomore Alex Mierzejewski is sidelined with a hip injury. Senior midfielder Brenden Stanford is playing on a bad ankle. Sophomore midfielder Aaron Zendejas is running on a sore hamstring.

The injuries have led the Panthers to move junior midfielder Nathan LaGrave, last season’s Class AA Tournament MVP, to sweeper.

“It’s not my favorite position,” he said. “But I enjoy playing. I’ll go wherever we need me.”

The Panthers’ most recent game was a 1-0 triumph Wednesday at home over Japanese team Futenma. The Panthers shut out Kadena’s base team 2-0 on Monday after opening the season with a 4-1 triumph Saturday over Japanese team Yokatsu.

With seven weeks to go until the Far East tournament at Yokota Air Base, Japan, the Panthers will work on patience, positioning and reducing fouls, Reay said.

“These boys are so eager to do well that they need to calm down and play a patient game,” he said. “When they get over-excited, they lose their discipline and positioning. … The fouls, maybe that’s a fitness thing.”

Playing Japanese teams, which play nearly year-round on Okinawa, “will benefit us in the long run,” said Panthers head coach Mike Callahan. “Even though the Panthers may be strong in comparison to other DODDS teams, we can only get better by playing the local teams.”

On a roll, Yokota boys prepare for major test vs. Kinnick

After finishing second last year in the Japan League, this season was thought to be a rebuilding campaign for the Yokota Panthers.

But Yokota has outscored its opponents 38-3 in its first six matches.

Ten players have scored for Yokota, led by Bronson Bailey’s 10 goals and Stefan Welch’s nine. Welch also has nine assists.

Coach Tim Pujol said his team has been equally sound on offense and defense, limiting the scoring chances faced by rookie goalkeeper Justin Hudson.

“I’m not sure which stat is more impressive at this point,” Pujol said about the high offensive output and 0.50 goals-against average. “It says that we have a lot of people looking to contribute on offense. If you have a lot of assisted goals, you have people creating chances for others. It means we’re passing the ball well and looking for each other.”

Yokota, which won the JSL from 2001-03 and reached the Class AA title game in 2002 and 2003, will face a difficult challenge on Saturday when it hosts defending JSL champion Nile C. Kinnick.

“This one will tell us a lot,” Pujol said.

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