Eagles let Binar loose, again

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on October 14, 2014 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Rosewood constructed its offense from back, worked the ball consistently through the midfield and generated shots on goal.

The strategy produced three goals within a 53-minute span.

Then Otto Binar got loose.

The Spring Creek senior punched in three second-half goals, including the game winner in the 57th minute, and Gators claimed a crucial 6-3 victory Monday afternoon. SC (13-4-0 overall) remained in the hunt for its seventh Carolina 1-A Conference regular-season championship in the past nine years.

"We are tied in first place with James Kenan, so we know we have to beat every team (left)," said Binar, who finished with four goals and pushed his season total to 35.

"We knew we couldn't lay down against Rosewood."

The Eagles built one-goal advantages on three different occasions.

Senior Ethan Chapin logged goal-scoring assists off of throw-ins to Zack Barnes and Marquail Almontaser. Teammate Hayden Amodeo added a first-half goal when he cleaned up a deflection inside the 18-yard box.

Almontaser's header off of Chapin's throw-in gave Rosewood its last lead, 3-2, barely 13 minutes into the second half.

"The height we give up on those and the long throw they have is big," SC head coach Linda Salter said. "At halftime, when we were talking, I told them to just keep the pressure on and it (another goal) will come. As the game went on, they didn't have the transition like they did in the first half.

"I think the pressure just broke them. Otto is just Otto."

Binar pushed the Gators ahead, 4-3, four minutes after Almontaser picked up his 10th goal of the season. Binar added two more goals in the 61st and 78th minutes, while teammate Gio Avila scored in the 64th on a ball served over the top of the defense by Hugo Zavala Gil.

Rosewood (8-6-1, 6-5-1 Carolina) uncharacteristically abandoned its game plan after Binar's go-ahead goal. The Eagles resorted to a more physical style of play that led to constant stoppages and prevented either team developing an offensive rhythm.

"Once they scored their fourth goal, we stopped trying to do the things that make us successful," RHS head coach Eddie Maldonado said. "We just started kicking the ball around, not playing to people's feet (and) we tried to run people over. If we lose to a team better than us, no problem.

"If we lose to the best player in the conference, no problem. But we've got to still try to do the stuff we're supposed to do."

Spring Creek led in shots (18-10), while each team attempted three corner kicks. Gators' keeper Ulises Vega recorded three saves, while Eagles keeper Khalil Warren collected seven saves.

The Gators entertain Hobbton (9-2-1 Carolina) on Wednesday, and conclude regular-season play next Monday at defending conference champ James Kenan.