Leesville’s men’s soccer team (3-5-2 Overall, 1-1 Conference) began Wednesday, September 13 game at Hamilton Stadium with high hopes to overcome their recent series of losses. After three consecutive losses to Wakefield, Apex, and the undefeated Cardinal Gibbons, the Pride prepared for their second CAP-7 game of the season against the Sanderson Spartans.
“I think it’s a big game…they’re sort of a rival team, and it’s CAP 7. And we’ve won CAP 8 the past two years and we’re trying to win again…We’re just trying to play strong, we gotta have our minds ready, and we want to win,” said Andrew Kistner, a sophomore on the team.
The Pride started with the ball and slowly marched down the field, but there was no score. The ball went back and forth for over fifteen minutes of the first half.
The game changed with twenty minutes remaining in the half. Riley Whitsit, senior, scored off of an assist to put the Pride up 1-0. After, the Spartans advanced down the field towards junior Jamie Boegel, the starting goalkeeper for Leesville. The away team made three successive shots at the goal but Boegel was able to save them all.
Leesville came close to scoring at the one minute mark, when Ben Zahavi, senior, took the ball down to Sanderson’s goal but missed as the ball soared over the top of the goal.
Back on the field after halftime, the team continued to push hard and score a second goal The Pride took several shots at the goal, but the Spartan defense was able to contain them for a solid twenty minutes.
A mere sixteen minutes left in the game with the Pride up 1-0, Alex Stewart, sophomore and center attacking midfielder, received a penalty kick after a Sanderson defender knocked him down. With only the goalkeeper in his away, Stewart was able to score and double Leesville’s lead.
The Pride were able to defend their lead and hold the Spartans off to win 2-0.
