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Pinecrest at South View Tuesday, August 31st, 2004 The Jungle, Hope Mills, NC |
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Pinecrest at South View Tuesday, August 31st, 2004 The Jungle, Hope Mills, NC |
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| The sign at the entrance to South View High School stadium said “Welcome to the Jungle,” and it was a splendid safari for the Pinecrest soccer squad as it bagged a tiger in a 4-0 shutout Tuesday. The match was originally scheduled for Monday, but was postponed due to rain. Expectations for a close match appeared to be on the mark until the 18th minute when Travis Grasso took Tommy Ransdell’s pass in the left corner and fired a shot that gave the Patriots a 1-0 edge. Grasso fired the other shot of a double-barrel attack seven minutes later when he connected from the left side of the box following G.R. Horton’s assist. The goal put the Patriots ahead 2-0 heading into the half and set the tone for the balance of the contest. The two-goal comfort zone established in the first half served as a momentum builder for the Patriot squad as it settled in comfortably in the second half, moving the ball effectively and covering well. Fatigue and frustration became factors in the period, with the Patriots reaping the benefits as South View was forced into chase mode. A Pirate push in the box set up a penalty kick for Pinecrest midway through the period. Michael White buried the shot in the right corner of the net to stretch the lead to 3-0. White’s point underscored his strong presence on the field, where the shift to midfield has put him in a playmaker role. With 17 minutes left on the clock, Pinecrest went to the left once more, drawing Tiger keeper Stephen Battise out and opening the back door for a two-touch strike that would push the Patriots ahead 4-0. Gregg Pattis caught the cross on the right side and delivered the goods to Scott Phifer, who slipped the shot in behind Batisse for the score. Pinecrest coach Larry Martin, assessing his team’s early season performance, said, “We capitalized on our opportunities in the first half. We minimized threats and played effectively. That resulted in a feeling of comfort for us. Our guys were not threatened during the game and worked hard to move the ball around.” While the offensive effort is reflected in the score, the Pinecrest defense had a big night, notching the season’s first shutout behind strong defensive performances from Casey Wylie and Pattis, along with freshman goalkeeper Travis Frazier, who picked up his first high school shutout. Pinecrest advances to 2-0-1 overall. South View moves to 4-2. Earlier in the evening, Pinecrest bulldozed South View 8-0 in the junior varsity match. Karl Ainslie and Westley Grannis scored two goals each. Ben Gartman, Bradley McKeever, Christopher Wylie and Tyler Dawson rounded out the scoring for the Patriots. The Patriots traveled to Lumberton Thursday night for another non-conference match. Pinecrest is back home on Sept. 10 when it hosts Fuquay-Varina. Mid-Southeastern Conference competition cranks up on Sept. 13 against rival Scotland County in a home contest. <-Previous 8-25-04 at #4 Fayetteville Academy (T, 1-1) 9-2-04 at Lumberton (L, 1-2) Next-> |