In a six minute burst the Albemarle boys soccer team showed just how explosive it can be. The Patriots found themselves in a steady back-and-forth battle with Charlottesville but thanks to a trio of goals coming right out of the halftime break, the visitors were able to come up with a 3-0 win.
“When these guys are growing up playing against each other you know how they feel,” said Albemarle coach Zach Laird. “It’s cool to see them saying hey to they’re friends but then you’re trying to reel them in to compete against each other. It was fun though. We love it, both the players and coaches. We told the guys they had to finish when they got their chances and I think they did that tonight.”
Charlottesville, playing shorthanded by more than a handful of players with a school orchestra night commitments and injuries, was able to hang and then some in the first half. With just under ten minutes left in the first, the Black Knights launched three quality shots from close range at the Albemarle net with two of them sailing wide and one hitting the post.
“We knew it was going to be a big and it always is against Albemarle,” said Charlottesville coach Stephan Cost. “It was tight and I don’t think the score reflected really how we played the whole night but when you fall asleep like we did it was just bang, bang, bang. It’s tough.”
Out of the break, Albemarle was able to draw a penalty kick five minutes into the second after Andrew Weber drew the call on a scrum in front of the goal. Daniel Starr buried the PK in shot that couldn’t be stopped to the top right shelf. Just under two minutes later Starr was able to set up Weber and he finished his touch to make it 2-0 just like that.
“First of all, it was basically all (Weber),” Starr said. “He made a great run for me to slip it in and then there he was behind the defense.”
With 33:57, Wes Cheuck then cleaned up a broken play in front of the goal with a header and the Patriots had all that they needed the rest of the way up 3-0.
“Brandon Mahon just had had a great free kick,” Starr said. “Wes followed up with a great follow up.”
Charlottesville would get a trio of quality shots in the second half, but with keeper Thomas Leckrone and his defense on point all game, the Black Knights weren’t able to slip one past.
“Our guys fought hard until the end and worked really hard but we were a little depleted,” Cost said. “But the guys who played in different positions — I mean we had a goalkeeper playing striker tonight — they show you in practice that they’re confident. We have a good team and guys fighting in practice so in the end this only makes us better.”
Albemarle (6-0-1) will host Fluvanna on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. Charlottesville (8-1) gets another rivalry game with home affair with Western Albemarle on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.
