Wesleyan soccer completes unbeaten regular season
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian put the final stamp on an unbeaten regular season.
The Trojans, playing all 11 seniors to start the game, took the lead on a penalty kick in the 29th minute and raced away in the second half to beat rival High Point Christian 7-0 in NCISAA PACIS 3A boys soccer Thursday on Senior Night at Sanford Field.
“I thought we played well and our seniors played with passion,” Wesleyan coach Scott Reitnour said. “It was Senior Night, and I’m proud of them. I’m proud of the contributions they’ve made to the program and their willingness to serve and love the younger guys. They’ve really done a lot to lead through servant leadership, so it’s nice to be able to honor them all with a start.
“We talk a lot about scoring the first and last goal,” he said. “With the way we play, having a lot of possession, and as deep as we are, wearing teams down, sometimes it takes a while before we can crack the nut. Chris had missed one over at Forsyth Country Day, and he stepped up and struck this one really well. So, I was proud of his response.”
Malik Ibrahim had two goals while Chris Sepessy had a goal and an assist to lead the Trojans (19-0-3 overall, 6-0 PACIS). Reid Ruark, Gyslain Ndayikengunrkiye, Carter Huffman and Jonathan Greene each added a goal. Phillip Cimpean added two assists, while Justin Sledge and Evan Allred each had one as Wesleyan, as it has played throughout the season, controlled possession for long stretches and recorded all 31 shots in the match.
It took until the 29th minute, however, for the Trojans to break through. Isaiah Jackson drew a foul in the penaltyarea, and Sepessy, a junior midfielder, stepped up and drilled the PK.
“It was good because it built up the effort,” Sepessy said. “It showed that all the work we’d been doing in the first half paid off. It really just sparked all the other goals. … It was great – just relieving.
“We’re strong,” he said, looking ahead to the playoffs. “I think we can work on a few minor things in practice this week. And we’ll go into it really strong.”
Wesleyan added goals in the 48th minute on a corner kick that bounced around in front and in the 52nd minute on a center and volley to lead 3-0. It then scored a fl urry of goals in the fi nal seven minutes to seal it.
The Trojans, who are ranked No. 2 among NCISAA 3A teams by MaxPreps, scored on a rebound in the74th minute, twice in the 75th minute from the top of the box and on a low liner, and in the 80th minute just before the final horn.
But the Cougars (4-11, 1-5) did play well defensively – strategically ceding possession initially but quickly applying pressure – for significant stretches against a talented and patient offense that can score goals in bunches.
“I think we did well,” HPCA coach Austin Beck said. “We executed our game plan well. Obviously, they’re a good team. We came out with a different look than we did in the fi rst game, and we just tried to catch them offguard and put them unde pressure. I think we did that until the PK call. Unfortunately, that went against us. But I thought the guys responded well after that.
“I think we were doing well. Obviously, you want to be 0-0 going into halftime But we were doing things well, sticking to what we wanted to do and making them uncomfortable. We justwanted to make them beat us through the run of play. They created chances – as they’re going to – but we came up with a big save and a clearance off the line. So, I was pleased with how we were sitting.”
The Cougars, who were led by Josh Beane (13 saves) and Hunter Curlee (four saves – breaking the school’s career saves record), don’t anticipate making the state playoffs, Beck said. But the season was still a positive one.
“This year has been about development,” he said, “and looking at our program as a whole and where we want to go moving forward. We knew we had a super-young team, and it was about learning dif -ferent characteristics of what our program looks like, how we want to compete and building for the future.
“We had a great group of four seniors (Beane, Curlee, Riis Widner and John Cody Petitfils) who really spearheaded that. So, I’m really proud of them and the way they led us. And they really put their stamp on the program and set the standard for these younger guys going forward.”
The state playoffs are scheduled to begin Tuesday.
The top four teams will receive a bye into the quarterfinals Saturday (or Friday if both teams agree). The higher-seeded teams will host until the title game Oct. 28 at Covenant Day.
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian put the final stamp on an unbeaten regular season.
The Trojans, playing all 11 seniors to start the game, took the lead on a penalty kick in the 29th minute and raced away in the second half to beat rival High Point Christian 7-0 in NCISAA PACIS 3A boys soccer Thursday on Senior Night at Sanford Field.
“I thought we played well and our seniors played with passion,” Wesleyan coach Scott Reitnour said. “It was Senior Night, and I’m proud of them. I’m proud of the contributions they’ve made to the program and their willingness to serve and love the younger guys. They’ve really done a lot to lead through servant leadership, so it’s nice to be able to honor them all with a start.
“We talk a lot about scoring the first and last goal,” he said. “With the way we play, having a lot of possession, and as deep as we are, wearing teams down, sometimes it takes a while before we can crack the nut. Chris had missed one over at Forsyth Country Day, and he stepped up and struck this one really well. So, I was proud of his response.”
Malik Ibrahim had two goals while Chris Sepessy had a goal and an assist to lead the Trojans (19-0-3 overall, 6-0 PACIS). Reid Ruark, Gyslain Ndayikengunrkiye, Carter Huffman and Jonathan Greene each added a goal. Phillip Cimpean added two assists, while Justin Sledge and Evan Allred each had one as Wesleyan, as it has played throughout the season, controlled possession for long stretches and recorded all 31 shots in the match.
It took until the 29th minute, however, for the Trojans to break through. Isaiah Jackson drew a foul in the penaltyarea, and Sepessy, a junior midfielder, stepped up and drilled the PK.
“It was good because it built up the effort,” Sepessy said. “It showed that all the work we’d been doing in the first half paid off. It really just sparked all the other goals. … It was great – just relieving.
“We’re strong,” he said, looking ahead to the playoffs. “I think we can work on a few minor things in practice this week. And we’ll go into it really strong.”
Wesleyan added goals in the 48th minute on a corner kick that bounced around in front and in the 52nd minute on a center and volley to lead 3-0. It then scored a fl urry of goals in the fi nal seven minutes to seal it.
The Trojans, who are ranked No. 2 among NCISAA 3A teams by MaxPreps, scored on a rebound in the74th minute, twice in the 75th minute from the top of the box and on a low liner, and in the 80th minute just before the final horn.
But the Cougars (4-11, 1-5) did play well defensively – strategically ceding possession initially but quickly applying pressure – for significant stretches against a talented and patient offense that can score goals in bunches.
“I think we did well,” HPCA coach Austin Beck said. “We executed our game plan well. Obviously, they’re a good team. We came out with a different look than we did in the fi rst game, and we just tried to catch them offguard and put them unde pressure. I think we did that until the PK call. Unfortunately, that went against us. But I thought the guys responded well after that.
“I think we were doing well. Obviously, you want to be 0-0 going into halftime But we were doing things well, sticking to what we wanted to do and making them uncomfortable. We justwanted to make them beat us through the run of play. They created chances – as they’re going to – but we came up with a big save and a clearance off the line. So, I was pleased with how we were sitting.”
The Cougars, who were led by Josh Beane (13 saves) and Hunter Curlee (four saves – breaking the school’s career saves record), don’t anticipate making the state playoffs, Beck said. But the season was still a positive one.
“This year has been about development,” he said, “and looking at our program as a whole and where we want to go moving forward. We knew we had a super-young team, and it was about learning dif -ferent characteristics of what our program looks like, how we want to compete and building for the future.
“We had a great group of four seniors (Beane, Curlee, Riis Widner and John Cody Petitfils) who really spearheaded that. So, I’m really proud of them and the way they led us. And they really put their stamp on the program and set the standard for these younger guys going forward.”
The state playoffs are scheduled to begin Tuesday.
The top four teams will receive a bye into the quarterfinals Saturday (or Friday if both teams agree). The higher-seeded teams will host until the title game Oct. 28 at Covenant Day.
