The Salisbury boys soccer team pitched a complete-game shutout Saturday night.In sharp contrast to their opening-round
performance on Monday, the Hornets were near-perfect in a 4-0 victory over visiting
Brevard in the second round of the state 1A/2A playoffs.
“This is how it’s
supposed to be,” fullback Joe Almeida boasted after Salisbury (19-1) advanced to
round three and a home match on Tuesday or Wednesday. “This is how you win soccer
games. Everybody does their part. The offense gives you a three- or four-goal lead and
defense makes it count.”
Indeed, the Hornets were pounding
their chests after securing their seventh straight win and 13th shutout. That it followed
an uneven 5-3 first-round triumph over Starmount made it glow that much brighter.
“We came out with a different
mind-frame,” said halfback Jimmy Haynes. “Instead of just running around chasing
the ball, we tried to play our game.”
That meant effectively using both
the inside and outside lanes of the field, winning balls in the air and playing steel-wall
defense.
“We definitely used our speed
to our advantage tonight,” said winning coach Tom Sexton. “And we played the
ball outside-in and inside-out. That’s mostly because of our speed, but we were also
trying to use the whole field.”
Even Brevard coach Stefan
Billmayer was impressed with the Hornets’ acceleration rate. “I was told they
were going to be fast and aggressive,” he said after the Western Athletic Conference
qualifiers finished with a 9-7-1 record. “They beat us to the ball, they beat us in
the air. So much of this game is possession, but we didn’t have enough speed to keep
up with them.”
Salisbury sprinted out of the
starting gate when senior Jacob Pace scored on a connect-the-dots play in the match’s
third minute. It began when speed merchant Patrick May sent a ball deep into the right
corner, where teammate Daniel Butner gathered it and centered a pass to Pace at the
doorstep for an easy conversion.
“That changed the whole
complexion of the game,” said Pace. “When you get one that early, it gives you
all the momentum.”
They picked up some more steam at
the 24-minute mark. This time Almeida’s long shot on goal was mishandled by Brevard
keeper Jesse Lutz and May knocked home the rebound. It was his third postseason goal and
eighth of the year.
Salisbury took command when it
netted its third goal of the first half with 6:30 on the clock. Reserve forward Chris
Goodman initiated the play by delivering a marvelous pass from right wing to Pace, who
calmly tapped a shot past Lutz into the lower left corner.
“That third goal was the
dagger in their heart,” said Almeida. “You could see their heads drop.”
Pace, the Hornets’ truest
sharpshooter, added his third goal of the night midway through the second half. Almeida
stole the ball along the left sideline and chipped a feed to Pace, who faked a defender
and pumped a 10-yard shot past Lutz.
“We just made too many
mistakes in our own end,” said Billmayer. “And Salisbury played a flawless game.
They are a very good team.”
Now Salisbury turns its attention
to the third round, where it meets the winner of Saturday night’s Charlotte
Catholic-Mitchell matchup. “If we’re going to be the best team in the state, we
have to beat the Charlotte Catholics, the Swannsboros,” said Sexton. “You have
to play them sometime and right now, we’re there.”
n
NOTES: Pace’s hat trick was
his fifth of the season. He now has 119 career goals, including 41 this autumn and five in
the playoffs. ... Salisbury keeper Dallas Mesimer was back on his game, making seven
mostly routine saves. He’s allowed only 12 goals all season and owns a 0.60
goals-against average. ... This week’s game marks Salisbury’s third consecutive
trip to the Western state semifinals. |
Today's News