From the match’s outset, the Warhorses made a habit of pushing around a smaller, more finesse-styled Avery team. The Vikings did well throughout the match to keep its collective cool, but the sheer size of the Owen team made winning 50/50 balls and battling for possessions difficult.
In the seventh minute, the Warhorses got on the scoreboard when the official ruled an Owen sent ball had been tipped by Avery, nullifying a possible offside call. Owen pushed forward through the play and managed to slip a goal past the outstretched Viking keeper Alex Magner for the first goal of the evening.
Avery created several scoring opportunities for itself through its precise passing and team play. Senior Daniel Lusk utilized his speed to find open space down the right side on a couple of occasions after the Owen goal, but the Warhorse defense managed to regroup just in time to prevent a goal or the Owen keeper found a way to make an astounding save to prevent a Viking goal.
Multiple times in both the first and second half, Avery appeared to play onside and get behind the Owen defense to attack the goal, but several times the official judged the play offsides against Avery, much to the dismay of the Big Red coaching staff.
Neither team managed another goal through the remainder of the opening 40 minutes, leaving the score at 1-0 at intermission.
The second half was every bit as physical as the first. Midway through the second half, an Owen player took out Avery offensive threat Jorge Arreola with a strong kick to his legs while he was standing out of bounds with the ball nowhere near. Arreola was treated on the Avery sideline and was unable to return to the match.
Owen added an insurance goal in the 58th minute to extend to a two-goal lead. A corner kick was defended by the Vikings and sent out, but a Warhorse attacker made his way to the ball several yards in front of the net and fired a shot that found the back of the net for what proved to be the final margin.
“The officials allowed the game to be played rough, with no cards and very few free kicks, and we always come out on the short end of that stick because we are a smaller team than most in our conference,” Avery Head Soccer Coach Tom Evaul said after the match. “They pushed us all over the field because they could, but despite the lack of game control by the refs and the mistreatment of our players, I was proud of the guys because they kept their cool and stayed focused the whole 80 minutes. They could have easily have gotten frustrated with the treatment and lack of consequences for the roughness, but they continued to play, realizing that there was nothing that was going to change.”
Evaul was glad to see his team give a strong effort through the match.
“We had several opportunities to score, but just couldn’t finish. Except for two defensive mistakes that Owen took advantage of and scored, we played them head to head,” Evaul said. “There was really no outstanding player, as they all gave it everything they had. I hated to lose to Owen twice again this year, but we just couldn’t muster what we needed on offense to be successful enough to come away with a win or a tie.”
Avery returned to the pitch earlier this week with a home match on Monday, October 11, taking on Thomas Jefferson Academy, defeating the Gryphons by a final score of 3-2. The Big Red hosts Hendersonville in a key 1A conference showdown on Wednesday, October 13.
