Covenant’s boys soccer team got a big lift when sophomore forward Alex Wilcox broke through for a goal with about 30 minutes left to play in the first half off a Fernando Martinez assist.
But it was about the last thing that went right for the Eagles on the day as Walsingham Academy scored twice more in the first half to build a one goal halftime lead that held up as a 2-1 victory over the Eagles.
“To their credit, they took advantage of mistakes we made,” said Covenant coach Bryan Verbrugge. “Sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Covenant, a state semifinalist squad in 2014, actually scored Walsingham’s first goal on an own-goal just a couple of minutes after Wilcox staked them to that short-lived one-goal lead. Then with 15:49 to play, junior Keleau Smith, the Walsingham player credited with last touching the own-goal, took a penalty kick and buried it for what would become the game-winner.
The Eagles struggled to execute throughout and Verbrugge pointed to the absence of one key player as a big reason for those struggles — center midfielder Michael Colberg.
“We really missed our center mid Michael Colberg,” Verbrugge said. “He’s out with a calf injury and we couldn’t figure out how to beat their numbers back into the middle. I think in all reality we beat ourselves today.”
The Eagles created a handful of excellent chances in the second half of the game but couldn’t find the equalizer as Walsingham keeper Harrison Forrest posted eight saves. Covenant keeper Craig Van Dyke finished with six saves of his own.
The Eagles hit the road to take on Trinity Episcopal Wednesday next week.
