BOYS' SOCCER: Rosewood upends Eastern Wayne

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on September 1, 2016 1:49 PM

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By JUSTIN HAYES

jhayes@newsargus.com

Bend, don't break.

Win your situation.

Rosewood High's varsity soccer team did just that Tuesday evening, securing enough of each maxim to edge cross-town foe Eastern Wayne, 4-3, at New Hope.

The affair, a mercurial display of wild momentum swings, began with a buzz in the opening two minutes.

EW senior Christian Anderson won a loose ball in the Rosewood corner, then played it deftly through the legs of an approaching Eagle defender. After gathering his right foot, the UNC-Greensboro recruit ripped a blast by the outstretched gloves of the Eagles' Tucker Chapin.

The hosts led 1-0 just 83 seconds in.

Rosewood, however, appeared nonplused by the early fireworks.

Led by Daniel Aburto and Hayden Maldonado, the Eagles plied their way through EW's defensive formations, patiently seeking opportunities in front of goal.

In the eighth minute, Stalen Massengill found one.

The senior midfielder corralled a ball misplayed by the Warriors' back line, dribbled through a scramble in the penalty area and launched a strike by EW keeper Bryan Morales.

The return fire was a welcome sight to Eagles' head coach Eddie Maldonado.

"I was proud of the fact they didn't hang their heads," he said. "We have a long time to go, let's continue to play."

And as time marched on, so too did a litany of missed opportunities by Eastern Wayne. At midfield, Warrior crossing attempts were routinely broken up. In the box, corner kicks became purple-and-gold traffic jams.

Anderson's attempted header in the 30th minute, a blinding flash of his unique skill set, missed wide by inches.

"The same thing happened with Goldsboro," EW coach Scott Summers said. "We score early, but we have to keep that momentum."

A Geovanni Abrill strike just before the half gave Rosewood a 2-1 advantage and signaled the notion of a long, deliberate slugfest over the final 40 minutes.

It morphed, however, into a basic test of endurance.

Anderson's poised, over-the-top touch to Alfrado Cabrera in the 54th minute set up the junior's third goal of the season and tied the match at two apiece.

Then time was suspended.

Literally.

With players on both clubs cramping, stoppages in play became the norm. Anderson, the straw that stirs all things Eastern Wayne, sat for nearly 20 minutes of the second half.

A punch by Morales provided Eastern Wayne a 3-2 advantage, but was matched by Abrill's clever spike of a Rosewood throw-in during the 63rd minute.

After an injury to EW keeper Daniel Stevens, Anderson returned to the pitch and immediately threatened the Eagles. He won control of a ball at midfield and advanced swiftly on goal, but was stonewalled by Chapin and senior defender Justin Brogden.

The shot -- the last of 13 on-goal attempts by the Warriors -- set the stage for a panic-stricken final two minutes, which were capped by Skyler Price's boot past a diving, physically taxed Morales.

Rosewood 4, EW 3.

Final.

"It was a hard-fought game by both teams," Maldonado noted. "We both gave up some goals we probably shouldn't have... we just happened to get the last one."

Rosewood (3-2-0 overall) travels to North Johnston next Wednesday. Eastern Wayne (1-1-1) visits South Lenoir today.