CFNN reporters Aiden Hale, Cameron Hall, and Brayden Luchetta

Yesterday our soccer teams hit the road, taking on Purnell Sweat for two thrilling matches!

The JV Colts got a dominant win over the Rams. Freshman Kyle Horne put the Colts up in the first half with a perfectly placed finish in the bottom corner. The boys had a few more chances before halftime but couldn’t find the back of the net. The boys led 1-0 at halftime and were ready to add on to their lead.

In the second half; the Rams received a penalty kick (PK) and scored, making it a tie game.

The JV Colts kept up their pressure and put 4 more goals past the Rams’ keeper. When the final whistle blew, the boys walked away with a commanding 5-1 win.

Our Varsity team was sitting tied for first in the conference with a 1-0 record, and they were ready to get another win after their important victory over Lumberton on Monday.

This was going to be a challenging battle for the Colts as the starting goalkeeper Brady Kennedy was out sick. Head coach Bryan Pagan had to show some of his tactical brilliance by putting Sophomore Aiden Hale in net. Hale is typically a starting midfielder, so Pagan filled his place by using the team’s depth in the midfield to try to get the win without their number one keeper.

This formation would pay off as the team was able to come away with the 2-0 victory at fulltime. Sophomore Gavin Noopon netted the first goal a few minutes into the second half. He showed a demonstration of his dribbling abilities, able to get past defenders and slot the ball into the bottom left corner.

Team Captain Zack Beal scored their second goal with a beautiful curled ball into the back of the net. Beal was then a huge factor on defense as he helped shout out the Rams and keep their fill-in keeper out of harm’s way.

This game was a demonstration of the team’s adaptability and the tactical brilliance by Coach Bryan Pagan to make a lineup in the absence of their keeper. Make sure to travel to support your Cape Fear soccer teams at Gray’s Creek for a big conference matchup next Monday, September 29th.