Jamestown’s boys soccer team still remembers the 4-1 loss Grafton handed them late in the regular season last year to spoil their chance at a Bay Rivers District title.
The Eagles exacted a small measure of revenge Tuesday, defeating the Clippers on their home turf 2-1 in both teams’ district opener to gain the way-too-early inside track to the district crown.
“This is a good win because Grafton is obviously a good team, but the season is very young,” Jamestown Coach Bobby O’Brien said. “We’re happy with how we played, there are a few things we can improve on, but with so many tough teams [in the BRD], our approach is to take things one game at a time.”
O’Brien added that his team’s game plan Tuesday was to push their formation back a little so the defenders could face the game and not let Grafton send passes over top in hopes of keeping the Clippers’ many offensive weapons in check.
That approach served the Eagles well, as they effectively transitioned from defensive to attacking mode to gain an early advantage.
“They’re dangerous up front,” O’Brien said of Grafton. “So knowing where all their attackers are at all times was a main focus. We knew if we can press the ball with our front six and cause turnovers, that would spring our attackers and let them do their thing.”
Jamestown (3-0-1, 1-0 BRD) came out and set an aggressive, physical tone before jumping out to a quick 1-0 lead in the opening minutes, which O’Brien said was important for a road game.
Duncan McDevitt set up the scoring chance after beating his defender around the right side before playing the ball to standout midfielder Jeff Wolons, who slotted a pass in front of goal where Brandon Jordan ripped the ball into the back of the net.
“In a game like this between two good teams, to get one early before you’ve even figured out the game is huge,” O’Brien said.
Grafton’s best scoring chance of the first half came in the 15th minute on Jose Cortes’ well-placed cross from the right side, but senior Aaron Kaye’s shot from straight on trickled just left of the goal.
Jamestown owned much of the possession for the rest of the half, although neither team produced a threatening scoring chance as the Eagles took a 1-0 lead into the intermission.
Just like the first half, the Eagles found the back of the net in the early stages of the second after Cap League stepped in front of a pass deep in Grafton’s end of the field and finished off the scoring chance in front of goal to give Jamestown a 2-0 cushion.
The deficit seemed even larger for Grafton after Kaye, one of the Clippers’ top offensive weapons, was helped off the field after being cleated in the ankle.
Instead of folding, though, the Clippers kept pushing and managed to trim the lead in half, 2-1, with 7:24 to play after Kyle Valentine volleyed a penalty corner into the back of the net with one touch.
But Jamestown’s defense, led by Matt Cullom and Wilson Coughenour, refused to allow Grafton (4-2, 0-1 BRD) to climb all the way back and kept the ball out of their half of the field for most of the final six minutes.
Grafton coach Paul Sidhu said his team did not come out as mentally prepared as Jamestown, which led to them falling in an early hole. He credited the Eagles with a stout defensive effort that took the Clippers out of their offensive stride.
“They were very solid defensively and took us out of our offensive game,” Sidhu said. “We’re a team that tries to get behind defenses and they didn’t allow us to do that. Their defense is going to cause a lot of problems for teams this year.”
Jamestown 2 Grafton 1
Goals: Jamestown- Jordan, League; Grafton- Valentine
Assists: Jamestown- Wolons
Records: Jamestown (3-0-1, 1-0 BRD); Grafton
Jamestown Girls Run Away from Grafton in the Second Half to Win 3-0
Jamestown’s girls soccer team solidified itself as the Bay Rivers District favorite after defeating Grafton 3-0 in both teams’ district opener at Wanner Stadium on Tuesday night.
After the two sides entered the half knotted in a scoreless tie, Jamestown found its footing thanks to goals from Paige Majdic, Aaliyah Lyttle and Tori Bennett set up by Bailey Cristian and Alex Dayton.
Majdic also assisted one of the Eagles’ scores while Hannah Sim needed only two saves to preserve the shutout against a Grafton team many consider as one of the few threats to Jamestown’s title defense.
Jamestown 3 Grafton 0
Goals: Jamestown- Majdic, Lyttle, Bennett
Assists: Jamestown- Cristian, Dayton, Majdic
Saves: Jamestown- Sim (2); Grafton- Wilson (8)
Pokorny Shoots Lafayette Girls Past Bruton, 7-0
Carson Pokorny scored four goals and assisted on two others as Lafayette rolled past Bruton 7-0 in both teams’ Bay Rivers District opener Tuesday.
Catie Saverese also contributed a pair of assists, while Megan Robers made four saves in goal to earn the shutout for the Rams.
Lafayette 7 Bruton 0
Goals: Pokorny (4), Ivy Leigh, Keyera Whiting, Grace Macomber
Assists: Alyssa Hogan, Emma Schenk, Catie Saverese (2), Pokorny (2)
Saves: Lafayette- Megan Roberts (4)
Record: Lafayette 3-0 (1-0 BRD)
Lafayette Boys Overcome Bruton 7-1
Bruton battled defending district champion closely in the first half before the Rams pulled away to earn a 7-1 victory in the Bay Rivers District opener Tuesday night.
Jason Eckenrode provided three goals and one assist and Reeves Trott added two goals and an assist for the Rams (4-0, 1-0 BRD), who outscored the host Panthers 4-0 in the second half after leading 3-1 at intermission.
Bruton played a man down almost the entire game after a player received two yellow cards in the first 10 minutes of regulation.
Lafayette 7 Bruton 1
Goals: Lafayette- Eckenrode (3), Trott (2), Rahman, And. Vacarro; Bruton- Maeso
Assists: Lafayette- Beatty (2), Davis, Eckenrode, Trott; Bruton- Embry
Saves: Bruton- Wilson (7), Matthews (4)
