Wallace-Rose Hill knocks out Spring Creek 1A soccer playoffs

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 7, 2013 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

TEACHEY -- Spring Creek met its match Wednesday evening.

Wallace-Rose Hill had speed, connected its passes in open spaces, communicated and did what it's done on 20 previous occasions this season, dealt an opponent a multiple-goal defeat.

Four different players accounted for goals in the Bulldogs' 4-1 triumph over the Gators in third-round action of the 2013 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A boys' soccer playoffs.

Wallace-Rose Hill (21-3-0) plays host to Camden County on Saturday.

"This is definitely the quickest team that we have played all year," second-year SC head coach Linda Salter said. "Then again, the further you get (in the playoffs), the more you've got to step it up and I think we probably failed to do that tonight.

"(Our) passing wasn't crisp, even trapping the ball wasn't crisp for us. We didn't talk, lot of stabbing (at the ball) ... lot of mistakes on our end. They're a good ballclub and not to take anything away from them, but we didn't execute very well."

The Bulldogs constantly disrupted the Gators' offense throughout the 80-minute contest. They intercepted passes, which caused Spring Creek to chase on defense and surrender dangerous scoring chances on goal.

Gator goal keeper Jose Sanchez turned away three phenomenal shots in the first few minutes, but it was a sign of things to come. Wallace-Rose Hill, which has outscored opponents 121-13 this season, kept pressure and finally broke through in the 11th minute.

Freshman midfielder Maynor Espinsoza intercepted a goal kick, dribbled into the 18-yard box and ripped a right-footed shot toward the near post. The ball bounced past the outstretched arms of Sanchez and into the lower corner for the 1-0 lead.

Spring Creek (14-4-1) misfired on a corner kick three minutes later. The teams traded scoring opportunities until a hard foul inside the box set up Wallace-Rose Hill's second goal in the 21st minute.

Senior co-captain Erik Patino converted the penalty kick to make it 2-0. The Bulldogs carried that two-goal advantage into halftime and extended it with goals from Moises Rapalo and Philip Trappe in the 50th and 52nd minutes.

"That third one ... a dagger," Salter said.

The Gators avoided the shutout in the 61st minute on Otto Binar's goal-scoring chip shot over Bulldogs keeper Viktor Hannson. David Vega earned the assist.

Wallace-Rose Hill led in shots (25-8) and corner kicks (12-1). Sanchez logged eight saves for Spring Creek, which will lose seven seniors -- Sanchez, Vega, Ivan Lemus, Brayan Lopez, Tony Huerta, Eric Flores and Oscar Osorio.

The group has been part of three Carolina 1-A Conference championships and four playoff appearances.

"The seniors are a good group of kids and have been very successful, and some of them will probably be successful in the future," Salter said.