The Hargrave Varsity Soccer Team played with a renewed intensity on Friday, and came away with their first win in five games beating Roanoke Catholic 2-0.
From the start the Tigers came out strong; winning and controlling possesion of the ball in the midfield, asserting continuous offensive pressure, and putting down any offensive opportunities for Roanoke Catholic with a solid defensive effort from the Tigers’ back four.
The Tigers took the lead in the last moments of the first half off of a goal from Kayode Ogunnaike (1G). The assist came from Charles Amos (1G, 1A) who launched the ball off a throw-in towards the goal. Ogunnaike ran onto the flighted ball, and headed with ease into the back of the net. Although the Tigers first goal came with less than two minutes remaining, they saw numerous opportunities sail just wide of the goal or kept out of the net by the Catholic goalkeeper. The Tigers finished with 13 shots in the half, while allowing only 2.
In the second half, the Tigers continued where they left off in the first. Hargrave continuously maintained offensive pressure within the Roanoke Catholic defensive half, and created many more opportunities to find the back of the net. The Tigers second goal would come 14 minutes into the half off of a corner kick from Josh Splinter (1A). Splinter hit a driven ball into the box that took a bounce past several defenders and found itself onto the incoming stride of Charles Amos. Amos struck the ball, deflecting it off the opposing defender on its way towards the goal, and into the back of the net. With a solid performance defensively, and continuous offensive pressure the Tigers were able to close out the remaining moments of the second half with the 2-0 win.
An impressive defensive effort from TJ Johnson, Chris Martelli, Charles Amos, and Wes Shea were intricate in putting down with ease any offensive opportunities Roanoke Catholic attempted to create. Roanoke Catholic saw only 4 shots in the game, on which goalkeeper Garret Torney was forced to make only 2 saves. Hargrave would finish the match with 27 shots, on which the opposing goalkeeper was forced to make 12 saves.
Hargrave Soccer now moves to 3-6-1 overall, and 1-3 in conference play.
