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Pinecrest vs Lumberton Monday, August 25th, 2008 John Williams Field, Southern Pines, NC |
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Pinecrest vs Lumberton Monday, August 25th, 2008 John Williams Field, Southern Pines, NC |
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| Thomas Goulden was feeding balls of such high quality into the Lumberton penalty box that Pinecrest soccer coach Larry Martin reckoned even he could have finished some of them. A junior midfielder, Goulden was credited with three assists, all leading to one-touch goals, as the Patriots (2-0) defeated the visiting Pirates (0-2), 6-0 on a wet Monday evening. Seniors John Kropp and Matt Carriker each scored twice. Tonight, Martin's squad travels to Fayetteville Academy to meet the 3-0-1 Eagles, the third-ranked private school team in the state. "There were a couple tonight we didn't finish, I thought maybe I could finish," Martin quipped after a match his team took 31 shots to only three for a young Pirate squad. "Thomas was sharp with his passes tonight -- his usual self. He also played a lot of balls that weren't going to the goal that were finding people at the right time to move the ball around." Operating deep on the right side of the field, Goulden sent about a 30-yard ball on the ground across the Pirate penalty box to an unmarked Kropp for the first goal. Three minutes later, Carriker was the beneficiary of a similar service for the goal that made it 2-0. "Thomas was whipping those balls in right behind the defense, and you didn't have to do anything but put a foot on it," Kropp said. "Thomas and all our midfielders were giving us chance after chance." At the 26-minute mark of the first half, the Pats' Aaron Stroker lofted another ball from the right side into the goal-mouth where one of the Pirates put a hand on it. Eric Parziale then stuck the penalty kick into the right corner of the net, for the third goal. With the steady rain of the first half easing up, Jack Talton received a ball in the Lumberton penalty box with his back to the goal, and headed it to Kropp. The senior sent a rocket into the net with his first touch, making it 4-0 in the 48th minute. The fifth goal came off a clever run with the ball along the Pirate end line by Stroker. The junior's shot was too hot for the goalkeeper to handle. Carriker connected again off a Goulden cross in the final minute to complete the scoring. Senior Matt Scott and junior Lewis Cable shared the team's second shutout with the latter recording the only save. Pinecrest is 1-2-1 over the last four years against a Fayetteville Academy team that has won five NCISAA state championships since 2000. The Patriots were 3-0 winners at home last year, but the Eagles handed them their only regular season loss in 2006 by the same score. "This was a good tune-up for Fayetteville Academy," Kropp said. "We've only beaten them once in history, and we've never beaten them in Fayetteville. Hopefully, Wednesday will be the first time." Martin hopes his team continues maintaining the clean sheet as far as goals allowed in the non-conference test against Fayetteville Academy followed by another against 13th ranked Wilmington Laney at home next Tuesday. "What I tell the guys is be stingy defensively, and we'll create something offensively," Martin said. Under next year's realignment, Pinecrest and Lumberton will be reunited as members of the same conference. In 2000, the last year the two were members of the disbanded Southeastern Conference, the Pirates defeated them 1-0. The Patriots have lost only one other league match since then, 2-1 to Jack Britt in 2004. "I could tell they lost some kids from last year, and this is kind of a rebuilding year," Martin said. "I'm sure Kenny (Coach Simmons) will have them back. The rivalry still remains." <-Previous 8-18-08 at Terry Sanford (W, 2-0) 9-2-08 vs Laney (W, 3-1) Next-> |