Prep soccer -- OT goal pushes Aycock past Rosewood

By Gabe Whisnant
Published in Sports on September 9, 2004 1:58 PM

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More meaningful games with playoff implications await both Charles B. Aycock's and Rosewood's soccer teams next Monday.

One look at the Eagles' Joey Churchwell's bloody nose and stained jersey after his team's 1-0 overtime loss to the rival Golden Falcons proved the county battle was more than just one final non-conference test.

The hard-fought effort by both squads showed it as well.

Four minutes into the first overtime, Aycock's Garrett Davis penetrated the right side of the Eagle defense and found a wide open Taylor Mills in front of the goal. Mills put away the game-winner with ease for his second goal of the year as the Falcon defense and goalie Jake Bunn held the rest of the way and preserved the shutout win.

Both defenses proved stingy through the contest, with neither team getting many breakaway opportunities and most of the game played between the 30 yard lines. Rosewood goalie Antell Richards had a handful of game-saving saves during regulation -- including a tough stop on a right-footed blast by Davis from close range late in the second half.

Richards finished with 11 saves, while Bunn had five stops in the shutout.

"Their goal-keeper is phenomenal. He made saves that I think only he could make," Aycock coach Byron Adkins said. "Without him, we score three or four goals. They didn't have a lot of shots that tested our goalie.

"It was just a matter of if we were going to score. It could have easily been a 0-0 draw."

Eagle coach Daniel Mitchell was pleased with Richards' performance and his squad's overall play.

"In the middle of the field, we are playing pretty good. We don't have a lot of team speed, so we have to hook together a couple of passes to get a good possession," Rosewood coach Daniel Mitchell said. "It was probably our best effort of the year as far as hustle and intensity."

Both teams possessed the ball well near and around midfield for most of the game. In the first half, Aycock's Carson Sasser played a long pass from midfield to Jorge Delgado, who fired on goal inside the penalty box. Richards saved the shot and knocked it wide of the goal.

Late in the first half, Rosewood got its best opportunity when Matthew Howell slipped past the defense in the middle of the field. Howell took a couple of dribbles, but the ball got away and Bunn quickly charged out and grabbed the errant touch.

The second half saw more of the same -- a couple of near misses by each team with both defenses up to the challenge. Richards knocked a quick breakaway by Davis wide early in the second half. The Eagles' Drew Krieger had a high, lofted shot grabbed by Bunn just before the end of regulation.

Aycock's goal early in the overtime proved to be the only dangerous attack by either team in both halves of extra time. Neither squad had a corner kick during overtime.

The Falcons outshot the Eagles 11-5 on the game, while tallying six corner kicks to Rosewood's three.

The two coaches seemed eager to get into their respective conference schedules following the game. The Eagles open up on Monday at home against Farmville Central as Aycock entertains Kinston.

"I'm looking forward to conference play. It's going to be really interesting. I think the teams to look out for are West Carteret or Eastern Wayne," Adkins said. "A second or third place finish for us is not out of the question."

"We are much improved to where we were early on," Mitchell said. "Next week is when they really count."

C.B. Aycock 0 0 1 0 -- 1

Rosewood 0 0 0 0 -- 0

First half overtime

CBA - Mills (from Davis), 44:00

CBA RHS

15 Shots 11

6 Corner kicks 3

0 Offsides 1

9 Fouls 12

Saves -- C.B. Aycock -- Bunn 5. Rosewood -- Richards 11.