Warren comes up big in goal, Eagles ease past Bulldogs

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on October 2, 2014 1:52 PM

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aetzler@newsargus.com

As the fall sports season approached, Rosewood didn't have a goalie for the boys' soccer team.

Bryce McKeel asked Kahlil Warren to try out.

Eagles head coach Eddie Maldonado decided to give the senior a shot.

On Wednesday, Maldonado thanked Warren for saving the game.

"I told Kahlil at halftime, 'hey man you saved us,'" Maldonado said. "I wish he would have came out before his senior year."

Warren made four saves most high school keepers would not have made -- including on a penalty kick -- to preserve a 3-1 victory for Rosewood over archrival and Carolina 1-A Conference foe Princeton.

"I kind of thought goalie would be the easiest position to play when I came out," Warren said. "I don't want to say I was a natural, but I'm doing OK."

Midway through the second half, Warren made his biggest stop when he thwarted a Nick Phillips penalty shot and didn't allow a rebound to squeak out to the Bulldogs players crashing the net.

The penalty was one of a flurry of chances that Princeton had during a five-minute stretch that all were either saved by Warren just off frame by inches.

"Oh, those are so frustrating," Princeton coach Morgan Brush said. "It's kind of unlucky, you just have to deal with it and hope it goes your way next time."

Warren wasn't frustrated.

"I thought that was kind of fun," he said.

Marquail Almontaser scored two goals and Josh Drew added one for the Eagles, who missed quite a few opportunities from point-blank range themselves -- something that's been an Achilles' heel all season. The team estimated at halftime they've scored on just three breakaways on goal all season despite having four or five chances a game, Maldonado said.

David Mendoza scored for the Bulldogs on a throw-in from Tanner Flowers. The Bulldogs played some of their best soccer of the year in the second half and came out motivated against the Eagles after losing the first match against Rosewood 4-0.

"I think they realized this game that they shouldn't be losing like this to teams," Brush said. "They came out very strong and I think if they keep going like they have the ability to be an amazing team.

"This should give them some confidence."