INMAN, S.C. – “The most dangerous lead in soccer is being up 2-0.”
After a strong first half, the Chapman Panthers had to weather a surge from the Pendleton Bulldogs in the first round of the 3A playoffs. Pendleton struck for one goal, but couldn't get any closer as the Panther defense stood tall and secured a 2-1 victory. Each side recorded a couple of saves in the first minutes of the contest, but the Panthers capitalized on a chance in the 20th minute on a throw-in from the far sideline as Jakob Schall corralled the ball on the fringe of the six yard box. Out of the corner of his eye, Schall spotted teammate Brandon Vallecillo on a diagonal cut in from the corner of the 18 yard box. Schall quickly dished it to Vallecillo, who blew by a defender and fired it into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. “Jakob had that flick-on to Brandon, who does what Brandon does and sticks it in the back of the net,” said Chapman head coach Chris DowDell. “We probably should have had another one earlier, but (Pendleton) has a couple of guys that are really, really good who were playing in the back. Their coach did a good job of moving them around to cause problems for us, whether it was defending or attacking. It made for an interesting game.” With less than a minute left in the half, Matthew Steading lined up a corner kick from the near side. Steading fired the ball into the six yard box, where Carson Desjardins tracked it and scored with a header just inside the left post for a 2-0 Chapman lead at the interval. Pendleton broke through in the 66th minute as Jonas Bradley tracked down a loose ball, worked his way inside the 18 yard box, and sent one into the net, making for a 2-1 deficit. However, the Panthers buckled down defensively – which included turning away a Bulldog shot on goal just before the final whistle – to earn the win. DowDell was quick to highlight those who made key plays to preserve the victory defensively. “Landon Pruitt made a key save in goal almost right at the death there,” exclaimed DowDell. “Christopher Pack has really been working hard… he had two interventions there that probably stopped at least one goal. Those two guys really stood out, and Matthew Steading was able to do a good job with (defending Bradley).” Chapman registered 13 total shots (seven on goal) for the game, while Pendleton finished with nine (five on goal). Desjardins and Vallecillo each finished a goal, while Pack, Schall, and Steading each notched an assist for the Panthers. Pruitt also recorded two crucial saves in the net. Chapman (12-3) will host Fountain Inn – a 4-1 winner over Clinton – in the second round on Wednesday at 7:00 PM. Comments are closed.
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