Mariners blank Gators in 3rd round, 1A soccer playoff game

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 6, 2014 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

BEAUFORT -- Spring Creek senior Otto Binar stared toward the empty goal in disbelief.

Junior Carlos Ramirez walked over to Binar, who had just played his final prep game in a Gators uniform. Moments later, senior Bryan Soto stepped over and all three players hugged and patted each other on the back.

The trio headed toward the bench.

SC head coach Linda Salter distanced herself from the team for a few minutes to gather her thoughts. Tears welled in her eyes and her voice cracked.

"Not just the boys (are hurting)," said Salter.

Fourth-seeded East Carteret tallied a goal in each half and dealt Spring Creek a season-ending, 2-0 loss in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A boys' soccer playoffs Wednesday evening. The Mariners (13-2-0) meet defending state champion Wallace-Rose Hill in the eastern semifinals Saturday.

The fifth-seeded Gators, champions of the Carolina Conference, concluded the year 17-3-0 overall. Spring Creek stumbled in the third round for the third consecutive year.

"We didn't (break it) tonight," Salter said. "They did well, for our size and everything else and the teams we've played against, I'm proud of them. It was a good season overall.

"I know tonight they're not going to tell you that. They live for this and it tears everything out of them when we don't go on (in the playoffs)."

Spring Creek could never find a rhythm against East Carteret, which constantly disrupted passes and countered well throughout the 80-minute affair. The Mariners earned the first touches on more than 75 percent of the balls.

EC's back four appeared impenetrable and denied the Gators direct shots on goal. Spring Creek couldn't connect on crosses and Mariners keeper Gaston Sanders logged a clean sheet with a six-save effort.

It was the Mariners' sixth shutout of the season and fifth victory in games decided by two goals or less.

"We knew if they were the champions of their conference, they were going to be a really tough team and they were a good team," EC head coach Antonio Diaz said. "I told my players we had to play 100 percent ... we were very, very close to it."

The Mariners broke the scoreless tie in the 20th minute.

A defensive breakdown on a throw-in allowed Darius Collins to slip in unmarked and send a one-touch pass to Max Cloutier. Cloutier found some open space and ripped a goal-scoring shot to the back post.

The Gators regained their composure and continued to challenge for possession, but couldn't consistently push the ball down the line. Diaz credited his defense for marking well and shifting when Spring Creek searched for other options by switching the field.

"At halftime, we were good," Salter said.

Until the eighth minute of the second half.

Sophomore fullback Alex DeOliveira got loose for a one-on-one breakaway and drew a foul inside the penalty area. DeOliveira settled the ball and tucked away the penalty kick for a 2-0 lead.

"With that PK, what little we had left, it took it out of us," said Salter, whose team fired 14 shots on frame and came up empty on four corner kicks.

"They still fought, but it wasn't the same team we had been playing with for the last nine or 10 games."