 |
| Eli Lockwood and Joey Ricca |
 |
| Discussing second-half tactics |
Although Trevor Samsa quickly (and for the second time this season!) put away the starting goal for the Panthers against Conference opponent Oxford Webb, the first half started off a little shaky for the JV Men's Soccer team. A lack of on-field communication, organization, and drive for the JV Panthers prevailed throughout the first half, forcing the home team to scramble for shape and possession.
Going into halftime tied 1-1, however, the team suggested to "start the second half as an entirely new team." "Forget the first half," said defender Bowen Collins, and the team went into the second half agreeing to do just that.
 |
| Tyler Taubenheim takes a kick from defense |
Refusing to leave their home field with a loss Wednesday night, the Panthers took the Orange High School field in the second half just as they said they would, as an entirely new team. Winning balls out of the air, playing aggressively, and movement off of the ball were all game-changers for the Panthers, as they wove together more intentional passes and took shots at their first opportunities to do so instead of waiting for the "perfect shot". More talk from the back line and the center midfielders helped to re-organize the Panthers, and it showed. Twenty-three minutes into the second half, the Panthers pulled ahead by a breakaway pass from Gerardo Figueroa to Caleb Anderson, who coolly netted his fifth goal of the season. After that, there was no turning back for the Panthers, as they played tough, worked together, and continued to send a torrent of shots at the Oxford Webb goalkeeper.
 |
| Chris Lamay takes on Webb attacker |
After the second Orange High goal, it only took the Panthers 8 minutes to snag two more goals and round the score out at 4-1. Two minutes after Anderson's goal, Eli Lockwood collected a rebounded shot and sent it right back in with great speed and precision to pull the Panthers to a 2-goal lead. Six minutes after that, Bowen Collins finished the job with a perfectly one-touched goal off of an on-ground cross from Caleb Anderson. Despite Oxford Webb goalkeeper saves, Trevor Samsa and Caleb Anderson each added six shots to the team total of 23 shots throughout the game, the highest total yet for the Panthers.
 |
| Goalkeeper Daniel Allred |
The Panther defense again played quite consistently, with defenders Tyler Taubenheim (shown above right) and Chris Lamay (pictured above left) standing out as defensive forces with no shortage of hustle. Goalkeeper Daniel Allred (pictured right) had 2 saves and Brad Barbee had 4. Austin Goehring had an excellent game at left midfield, creating multiple opportunities in front of the goal after taking the sideline with speed and getting off accurate, well-timed crosses. Gerardo Figueroa also played well in the middle of the field, passing often and honing his sense of composure and decision-making.
 |
| Morgan Collins and RJ Jackson |
On a 3-0 winning streak, the Panthers march eagerly onward towards tough matches against Conference opponents Cardinal Gibbons and Chapel Hill, knowing that they hold a deceptive upper-hand against powerhouse teams: the element of surprise.
The next game will be at home Wednesday, October 5th against Cardinal Gibbons. See you there!
No comments:
Post a Comment