Tigers upend Gators, create breathing room in league

By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on September 24, 2013 1:48 PM

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rhanchett@newsargus.com

SEVEN SPRINGS -- James Kenan played faster than Spring Creek for 60 minutes.

By the time the Gators got their offense in gear it was too late.

The Tigers walked out of "The Swamp" with a 3-2 victory in Carolina 1-A Conference play and maintained their position atop the league standings.

"I thought we played pretty well in the first half and we weathered the storm when (Spring Creek) turned up the intensity," James Kenan head coach Mitchell Quinn said. "I told the guys that we needed to be ready in the second half, because Spring Creek was going to come out fast and try to close the gap."

The teams played 29 minutes of scoreless soccer before the Tigers (6-1-2 overall, 4-0-1 CC) got on the scoreboard. Miguel Bautista made a slick move along the right sideline and crossed the ball into the 18-yard box. Carlos Rodriguez headed the pass home.

The score remained 1-0 until the intermission.

Both offenses awoke in the second half.

James Kenan pushed its advantage to 2-0 in the 44th minute when Daniel Galeno collected a rebound and fired a shot past a diving keeper.

Spring Creek cut the lead to 2-1 a minute later when Giovani Avila headed home a corner kick from Otto Binar. Keeper Marcos Castaneda kept the Gators in the game when he saved a penalty kick in the 53rd minute.

"I thought we were a little tentative early," Spring Creek head coach Linda Salter said. "We got things going in the second half, but by then we were already behind."

James Kenan pulled ahead 3-1 in the 58th minute when Rodriguez and Bautista connected for their second goal of the game.

Binar got the Gators within one goal in the 68th minute by converting a penalty kick.

Spring Creek (6-2-1, 4-2-0) steps outside conference play with a home game against Southern Nash on Wednesday. James Kenan visits Neuse Charter the same afternoon.