Wesleyan works overtime magic
HIGH POINT – The Wesleyan Christian boys soccer team kept at it through almost 100 scoreless minutes before finally earning its spot in the state semifinals.
Cooper Robbins scored off an assist by Malik Brahim in the 99th minute to give the top-seeded Trojans a 1-0 victory over ninth-seeded Charlotte Latin in the NCISAA 3A playoffs on a cold, rainy Tuesday night at Wesleyan.
“I could not be more proud of our guys,” Wesleyan coach Scott Reitnour said. “We just refused to go away. I thought Latin were incredibly organized, very disciplined and just made it really, really difficult for us.
“To these guys’ credit, they continued to play the way we play, and they found a way to score the goal they needed. I think that’s a testimony to their character and their resolve, their drive and their grit. So, I couldn’t be more proud.”
The teams were scoreless through 80 minutes of regulation, 10 minutes of the first overtime and 8 ½ minutes of the second overtime as the slippery conditions at times caused players to lose control.
Finally, with 1:27 left in the second 10-minute overtime, Luke Manring played a corner kick from the right side into the box. Amid a scramble, Brahim flicked a pass to Robbins, who booted in a shot for the game’s lone score.
“Luke served a great ball in,” Robbins said. “It kind of rattled around in there, and it just happened to be at my foot. I hit it on frame, and I think it deflected and went in. It was kind of fluky, but a goal’s a goal.
“I was so excited. It was a great relief. I’m just so excited to spend more time with this team. That’s the main thing. … I’m confident in our team and how we play (moving on). We’ve been there before. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”
The Trojans (20-0-1), ranked No. 3 nationally in the USA Today/NSCAA poll, possessed well and created offensive opportunities. But the Hawks (11-5-4) defended well and, for sizable stretches, forced Wesleyan away from the goal.
But, as the rain subsided in the second half, the Trojans, who got three saves from Michael Buckland, connected better over the final 20 minutes of regulation and sustained pressure into overtime that eventually resulted in a score.
So, moving on, Wesleyan will play No. 5 North Raleigh Christian (12-5-2), which beat No. 4 Christ School 2-1 on Tuesday, in the semifinals Friday at 4 p.m. at North Raleigh Christian.
“We’ll recover tomorrow, make sure we regenerate,” Reitnour said. “We’ll have a prep session Thursday and then leave Thursday night, check into the hotel and do what we need to do to get ready for the semifinals. We just saw North Raleigh, so we know they’re quite good. So, that’ll be a good test for us.”
HIGH POINT – The Wesleyan Christian boys soccer team kept at it through almost 100 scoreless minutes before finally earning its spot in the state semifinals.
Cooper Robbins scored off an assist by Malik Brahim in the 99th minute to give the top-seeded Trojans a 1-0 victory over ninth-seeded Charlotte Latin in the NCISAA 3A playoffs on a cold, rainy Tuesday night at Wesleyan.
“I could not be more proud of our guys,” Wesleyan coach Scott Reitnour said. “We just refused to go away. I thought Latin were incredibly organized, very disciplined and just made it really, really difficult for us.
“To these guys’ credit, they continued to play the way we play, and they found a way to score the goal they needed. I think that’s a testimony to their character and their resolve, their drive and their grit. So, I couldn’t be more proud.”
The teams were scoreless through 80 minutes of regulation, 10 minutes of the first overtime and 8 ½ minutes of the second overtime as the slippery conditions at times caused players to lose control.
Finally, with 1:27 left in the second 10-minute overtime, Luke Manring played a corner kick from the right side into the box. Amid a scramble, Brahim flicked a pass to Robbins, who booted in a shot for the game’s lone score.
“Luke served a great ball in,” Robbins said. “It kind of rattled around in there, and it just happened to be at my foot. I hit it on frame, and I think it deflected and went in. It was kind of fluky, but a goal’s a goal.
“I was so excited. It was a great relief. I’m just so excited to spend more time with this team. That’s the main thing. … I’m confident in our team and how we play (moving on). We’ve been there before. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”
The Trojans (20-0-1), ranked No. 3 nationally in the USA Today/NSCAA poll, possessed well and created offensive opportunities. But the Hawks (11-5-4) defended well and, for sizable stretches, forced Wesleyan away from the goal.
But, as the rain subsided in the second half, the Trojans, who got three saves from Michael Buckland, connected better over the final 20 minutes of regulation and sustained pressure into overtime that eventually resulted in a score.
So, moving on, Wesleyan will play No. 5 North Raleigh Christian (12-5-2), which beat No. 4 Christ School 2-1 on Tuesday, in the semifinals Friday at 4 p.m. at North Raleigh Christian.
“We’ll recover tomorrow, make sure we regenerate,” Reitnour said. “We’ll have a prep session Thursday and then leave Thursday night, check into the hotel and do what we need to do to get ready for the semifinals. We just saw North Raleigh, so we know they’re quite good. So, that’ll be a good test for us.”
