Riverside Wins 14-1

Box Score

Apr. 1, 2010

Olhasque Scores, Knott Assists

Against a formidable foe in 4-time North Carolina state champion Riverside High School, the Warriors fought till the final whistle, falling 14-1 to the Pirates Wednesday night at the Webb Football Stadium.  The match pushes Riverside’s Conference-4 record to 3-1, while the Warriors are yet to win a conference game.The Pirates scored 11 of their 14 goals in the first half, while the Warriors got a goal on the evening from senior midfielder Michka Olhasque, who received an assist from junior attacker Matt Knott, with almost 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, the Black and Red defense made the Riverside offense’s job much more difficult than other first year programs have in the past.  Offensive standout Carson Sterling, normally an attacker, ran the midfield but was unable to dominate as much as expected thanks to the lock down defense of freshman Rufus Terry.  The close defense of Tyler Eller, Zach Barnes, and Holden Jones continue to improve, making slides when necessary and guarding their men like hawks.

For the Pirates, the defense did not allow many shots on senior goalie Chris Spathis, and when shots did trickle through to him, he was up to the task.  In goal for the Warriors was freshman standout Christian Tilley doing what he does best, stopping 16 shots against the potent Riverside offense.

“I know it sounds strange to be excited and optimistic after a 14-1 loss, but I am proud of how our team played tonight against Riverside,” said Coach Farabee.  “Riverside has a very fine program,  but I thought we played extremely well against a team that was simply more experienced and technically developed than we are.  Christian Tilley continues to grow as a solid goalie, and our close defense (Eller, Jones, Barnes, and Terry) is playing more and more like a unit.  Riverside had to work hard for their goals tonight, often having to run multiple sets and plays before they scored.  Our midfield is also beginning to understand their responsibilities on defense.  This is helping our overall defensive effort.  We also showed some spark on offense, and it was exciting to see Michka Olhasque slip in a goal at the end of the game.”

The Warriors take the field again tomorrow night at the Football Stadium against the Falcons of Jordan High School at 5:30 pm, while the Pirates wait until April 10th for their next game at Cape Fear Academy.