Boys Soccer edges Paint Branch, 2-1

The Blazers made their home opener on September 5 as close a game as they possibly could, beating the Paint Branch Panthers 2-1. The team's scoring problem from last year seemed to carry over to year: the winning goal came in the final minute of regulation play.

Incoming varsity players saw a great deal of playing time. This is a marked change from last year's team, which used bench players minimally. At one point during the second half, eight juniors were switched in at once. Some players say that the considerable playing time being delegated to juniors is a byproduct of Mr. Richard Moats' new position as assistant coach.

To start, the Blazers looked sloppy in all elements of their game. Senior defender Mario Bracamontes was beaten consistently by the man he was supposed to mark. Juniors Duane Muller and Andrew Shoenfeld were rough around the edges. Even defensive lynchpin Zack Palmer was initially confused by the Paint Branch offense. The Panthers got their first goal because of a rare mental error on the part of senior goalkeeper Eliot Stein. A shot that looked as though it was going over the uprights curled into the top of the goal, leaving Stein totally perplexed.

As the game progressed, however, the Blazers looked more and more confident with each other. Defender William Zepeda contributed greatly on both defense and offense, blowing past anyone and everyone in his way. Forward Kodjo Gnatiko was an important offensive presence, and although he didn't score, his pressure kept Paint Branch defenders on their heels the entire game. Junior forward Alieu Terry, who at times proverbially bit off much more than he could chew, was nonetheless an essential part of the Blazer offense. He routinely cut swaths through the Panther defense, and helped produce numerous scoring opportunities.

First-year varsity players scored the two Blazer goals. The Blazers began getting desperate at the beginning of the second half, and the Blazers mounted three consecutive shots at the goal. On the fourth, junior Matt Poness put it past the Paint Branch goalkeeper. The aforementioned last-minute goal was a great one. Shoenfeld got a behind-the-back pass from Zepeda, and Shoenfeld crossed the ball brilliantly to forward Justin Craver who ran it past the goalkeeper.

"It was one of those games where we just weren't focused," Zepeda said. "We beat them 4-0 in the scrimmage, and maybe we took them too lightly."