Aggressive Derby tops Kapaun
DERBY If the Derby boys soccer team listened to one thing coach Paul Burke taught it in preseason, it was to take shots — a lot of shots, from all over the field. The lesson paid off Tuesday when Derby defeated Kapaun 5-3.
“(The high score) came from what we’ve been working on the last week and a half: shoot from anywhere,” Burke said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re 25 yards out, you never know where the ball will go.”
Each of Derby’s five goals came from different areas on the field, and a variety of players combined for the Panthers’ 13 shots on goal for the game.
After a Derby shot was deflected in the first half, a Kapaun defender was called for a hand ball inside the penalty area, allowing Derby’s Matt Chapman to score on a penalty kick.
“It just swerved and he was trying to get his body behind it but it just hit his arm, it’s just part of the game,” Kapaun coach Alan Shepherd said. “At that point I thought we were maintaining some possession, and we had a hold of the game a little bit, of course that changed the momentum a bit in their favor.”
With 21:28 remaining in the first half, Derby’s Alan Flores chipped a shot over Kapaun’s goalkeeper to gain a 2-0 lead for the Panthers.
“It’s all inexperience, youth up top,” Burke said. “Alan Flores is a hidden talent, and I knew he’d be a hidden thing that not everybody knew about.”
But only a minute later, Kapaun’s Ian Daley dribbled past Derby’s goalkeeper to score. The Crusaders scored again with 11:35 remaining after Mitchell Sheets scored on a rebound to tie the game.
Derby’s Ryan Steven scored with a shot from outside of the penalty area to end the first half with a 3-2 lead for Derby.
“It’s simple. We just get it to the middle and the forwards keep making their runs and we keep finding them,” Derby senior Jose Vaquera said. “Our biggest thing is keep shooting and shooting and shooting, and we did that tonight.”
Derby maintained pressure in the second half starting with a goal from Vaquera less than five minutes in. Not long after, Vaquera scored again on an assist from his cousin, Julio Vielmas.
Sheets scored again for Kapaun on an assist from Rhys Allen, but with only 11:48 left to play, the Crusaders could not make a strong enough attempt to rally.
“We couldn’t find the momentum we needed. We’d get a goal, we’d get within a goal, and then they’d score another one,” Shepherd said. “When that happens you tend to drop your head a little bit.”
| Kapaun | 2 | 1 | — | 3 |
| Derby | 3 | 2 | — | 5 |
First half—Kapaun, Daley (Strickland), Sheets (Hanson). Derby, Chapman (penalty kick), Flores (Vielmas), Steven (unassisted). Second half—Kapaun, Sheets (Allen). Derby, Vaquera (unassisted), Vaquera (Vielmas). Shots—Kapaun 8-6—14; Derby 7-6—13. Saves—Kapaun, Fulghum 3-0 3, McCully 0-2 2; Derby, Vaquera 5-4 9.