JV Boys Shine Against Grace Christian 12-1

Match time:  10/9/14  7:00pm
Opponent:  Grace Christian Varsity
Location:  Chinn Chapel Soccer Complex, Highland Village, TX
Weather:  Clear and temperate

HSAA:  12
GCA:    1


In their only match prior to Nationals, the JV Boys brought their "A game" as they faced Grace Christian Academy's varsity squad.  (GCA, which is a relatively new private school, had requested that their nascent varsity squad be allowed to play our JV for a more even match-up)  Despite facing a squad that consisted of many upperclassmen (and some very quick little guys as well), the Blue Angels dominated in the mid-field and the transition, keeping pressure on the beleaguered GCA defensive line.

All those extra voluntary practice hours paid off in superior ball control skills and passing, giving HSAA a clear advantage in time of possession, with most of the time being spent in the opponent's half of the field.  The offensively minded players of our side had a nice day, with 6 players scoring goals, including two hat tricks by Max Perez and one other player;  Jason Goodin and one other player had 2 goals each; and Peter Byrd and one other who found the back of the net once to round out the scoring onslaught.

All in all, HSAA took 40 shots, 23 of which were on goal, and were awarded 8 corner kicks, keeping the GCA defense on their heels for the entire match.

On the defensive end, the HSAA back line looked solid when called upon, with strong clearing and 3 saves from goalkeeper Matthew Welch.  The only goal surrendered came on a strangely bouncing ball in a crowd at the 6 yard mark that the defense was unable to clear; a GCA forward made a mid-air one-timer rope of shot that came out of the crowd and hit the upper 90 on the back post.

Sportsmanship Shout-out to our Noble Opponents:
The GCA goalkeeper played far better than the final tally would indicate; he made many nice saves against our offense, working hard behind a defense that was unable to contain the high-powered HSAA offense.   He did everything he could to keep his team competitive in this match.