Tigers slip past Eagles in Carolina 1A boys' soccer

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on October 7, 2014 1:48 PM

• Print
• Email

rcoggins@newsargus.com

Rosewood's Jordan Gurley defended James Kenan midfielder Max Hernandez well all evening and teammate Bryce McKeel prevented striker JaRod Randolph from getting good looks at the goal.

But the Eagles couldn't put pressure on the Tigers.

Displaying a consistent work rate through the midfield, James Kenan generated two first-half goals and exited Branch Pope Field with a 2-1 victory on the Carolina 1-A Conference boys' soccer scene Monday evening.

"Hernandez is their key player," RHS head coach Eddie Maldonado said. "Before the game, I don't know if anyone said anything to Jordan (but) he took the initiative and just went after it. I thought he did an excellent job tonight.

"(Still) they just out-played us all over the place today. They out-worked us, they knocked the ball around. Did we even create a shot on goal in the second half?"

The Tigers led in shots (17-7) and corner kicks (7-5). Rosewood keeper Khalil Warren logged seven saves and kept James Kenan out of the net in the second half.

Goalie Edwin Trinidad stopped one shot for the Tigers.

Rosewood (7-5-1 overall, 5-4-1 CC) misfired on two scoring opportunities during the first eight minutes. Zack Barnes dribbled too far into the 18-yard box on a breakaway and Ethan Chapin's header off of a corner kick sailed over the crossbar.

The Eagles finally struck in the 9th minute.

Marquail Almontaser picked up a loose ball and zipped a pass to Barnes, who made a great run down the sideline. Barnes uncorked a right-footed shot that curled around the near post and caught Trinidad off guard.

Kenan (7-6-0, 7-2-0) controlled the tempo for the next few minutes with crisp passing through the midfield. The Tigers spread the Eagles' defense, crossed the ball into the box and finally caught a break in the 16th minute.

Sophomore Miguel Bautista gathered a loose ball and lofted a shot over the out-stretched hands of Warren to tie the game at 1-1.

"We couldn't win the ball," Maldonado said. "When we did, we gave it right back to them. We also have to put pressure on them going forward and we didn't do that."

The Tigers, the reigning Carolina champions, punched in the game winner just before the halftime whistle blew. Senior midfielder Carlos Rodriguez dribbled down the sideline, got past his defender and connected on a goal-scoring shot that slipped between a kneeling Warren and the near post.

Rosewood failed to produce on numerous throw-ins and corner kicks in the second half. The Tigers thwarted the Eagles' best scoring chance when Barnes headed a throw-in from McKeel that a Tigers' defender cleared with Trinidad out of position.

"We couldn't finish," Almontaser said. "Those are things you have to work on at practice. This was a big game. We needed to get this one."