Trojans strike late, top Knights
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian didn’t play its best for much of the first half. But it regrouped and played much better down the stretch to pull out a hard-fought win against North Raleigh Christian.The Trojans scored the final three goals of the game — two in the final 6 ½ minutes of the second half, including Grant Edwards’ game-winner — to hold off the Knights 4-2 in boys soccer Thursday at Wesleyan’s
Sanford Field.
“I was pleased with our response in the second half,” Wesleyan coach Scott Reitnour said. “They solved the problems we needed to solve, and we did what we needed to do in the second half. “I’m super-pleased with
Grant. We frame, follow and finish, and we always talk about getting that ugly goal. People will say, ‘How does Wesleyan get so many ugly goals?’ We practice that, and he was in the right place at the right time.”
Caleb Compton, Reid Ruark, Edwards and Chris Sepesy eachscored for the Trojans (4-0-1), the two-time defending NCISAA 3A state champions. Austin Ash and Evan Allred each added an assist. The score was tied 2-2 into halftime, after Ruark scored on a 25-yard bomb with just three seconds left to even the score.
Wesleyan dictated the second half much better, possessing and creating opportunities. But it wasn’t until the 74th minute that the Trojans broke through. Allred made a run down the left side and centered to Ash near the top of the box. His quick shot deflected near the goal to Edwards, who kicked the ball in with his heel.
“I just got put on the wing, nd I saw a run in the box,” said Edwards, a senior forward. “So, I joined in and the ball got bounced around a little bit. I just got a little flick on it, and it ended up in the back of the net. “It feels really good to come through for my brothers like that and to just finish out a game like that — a hard-fought win. We all played as a team and it’s just a good feeling.”
Two minutes later, Allred made another run down the left side and dished to Sepesy along the right side of the goal for a two-goal cushion with 4:15 left in the game. That was enough to turn away the Knights, who hadled in the first half. Wesleyan struck first off a shot by Compton in the box inthe fourth minute after a long throw-in deflected off a defender. But NRCA, which lost to the Trojans in the semifinals the last two years and won the title in 2013, answered.
The Knights scored on a long shot that eluded the goalkeeper in the eighth minute to tie it and a free kick in the 28th minute that gave them the lead. But Ruark’s goal in the closing seconds gave the Trojans a boost into halftime. And then they regrouped and regained control into the second half.
“We absolutely love these guys,”
Reitnour said. “This group is supertight, super-committed. They love the coaches, and the coaches love them. You can see them put forth effort, because we’ve got to do it for each other. That’s huge. “So, to watch them weather a
storm against a very good team —and North Raleigh is a very good team. And they weathered that
storm and found a way to grow up a little bit.
“I asked them at halftime, ‘Are you boys or are you men?’ And they said, ‘We’re men, Coach.’ ‘Well, then
go play like men then.’ And they did. They played like men.” David Lee fi nished with 10 saves in goal for Wesleyan, which next plays Saturday at 7 p.m. against Page in the Showcase at Bryan Park.
BY MICHAEL LINDSAY
ENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITER
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian didn’t play its best for much of the first half. But it regrouped and played much better down the stretch to pull out a hard-fought win against North Raleigh Christian.The Trojans scored the final three goals of the game — two in the final 6 ½ minutes of the second half, including Grant Edwards’ game-winner — to hold off the Knights 4-2 in boys soccer Thursday at Wesleyan’s
Sanford Field.
“I was pleased with our response in the second half,” Wesleyan coach Scott Reitnour said. “They solved the problems we needed to solve, and we did what we needed to do in the second half. “I’m super-pleased with
Grant. We frame, follow and finish, and we always talk about getting that ugly goal. People will say, ‘How does Wesleyan get so many ugly goals?’ We practice that, and he was in the right place at the right time.”
Caleb Compton, Reid Ruark, Edwards and Chris Sepesy eachscored for the Trojans (4-0-1), the two-time defending NCISAA 3A state champions. Austin Ash and Evan Allred each added an assist. The score was tied 2-2 into halftime, after Ruark scored on a 25-yard bomb with just three seconds left to even the score.
Wesleyan dictated the second half much better, possessing and creating opportunities. But it wasn’t until the 74th minute that the Trojans broke through. Allred made a run down the left side and centered to Ash near the top of the box. His quick shot deflected near the goal to Edwards, who kicked the ball in with his heel.
“I just got put on the wing, nd I saw a run in the box,” said Edwards, a senior forward. “So, I joined in and the ball got bounced around a little bit. I just got a little flick on it, and it ended up in the back of the net. “It feels really good to come through for my brothers like that and to just finish out a game like that — a hard-fought win. We all played as a team and it’s just a good feeling.”
Two minutes later, Allred made another run down the left side and dished to Sepesy along the right side of the goal for a two-goal cushion with 4:15 left in the game. That was enough to turn away the Knights, who hadled in the first half. Wesleyan struck first off a shot by Compton in the box inthe fourth minute after a long throw-in deflected off a defender. But NRCA, which lost to the Trojans in the semifinals the last two years and won the title in 2013, answered.
The Knights scored on a long shot that eluded the goalkeeper in the eighth minute to tie it and a free kick in the 28th minute that gave them the lead. But Ruark’s goal in the closing seconds gave the Trojans a boost into halftime. And then they regrouped and regained control into the second half.
“We absolutely love these guys,”
Reitnour said. “This group is supertight, super-committed. They love the coaches, and the coaches love them. You can see them put forth effort, because we’ve got to do it for each other. That’s huge. “So, to watch them weather a
storm against a very good team —and North Raleigh is a very good team. And they weathered that
storm and found a way to grow up a little bit.
“I asked them at halftime, ‘Are you boys or are you men?’ And they said, ‘We’re men, Coach.’ ‘Well, then
go play like men then.’ And they did. They played like men.” David Lee fi nished with 10 saves in goal for Wesleyan, which next plays Saturday at 7 p.m. against Page in the Showcase at Bryan Park.
