INMAN, S.C. – Eighty minutes.
That is what stood between the Chapman Panthers boys soccer team and a date with history as they faced the Blue Ridge Tigers in a Region 3-3A tilt on Friday night. A quick start was the catalyst as Chapman emerged with a 4-2 victory over Blue Ridge, clinching a share of the region title with two matches left to play. This also marks the first time in program history that the Panthers have won three region championships in succession. In the seventh minute, Chapman captain Brandon Vallecillo wasted little time, as he dribbled down the left side of the pitch, blew by a defender, and pulled the cord on a scorching strike for an early 1-0 lead. Four minutes later, Carson Desjardins received a pass and sent home a shot from nine yards out, creating a two goal advantage for the Panthers. The Tigers sliced the deficit in half with a goal on a try from 10 yards away, which made it a 2-1 score at the interval. “That was a relief,” Chapman head coach Chris DowDell said about the two early goals. “We knew that Brandon had a good matchup. He has a couple of moves that when he puts that move on, there is nobody that can run with him when he gets in behind (the defense) like that. We had a couple good days of training and were able to flip the switch a little bit earlier tonight.” “They outshot us 4-2 in the first 20 minutes of the game, but one of ours went in. The next thing you know, it’s 6-3 in shots, but we were winning 2-0. It’s not just the shot or chances you create, but it’s finishing those chances. We have guys that can finish those chances.” Less than three minutes into the second stanza, the Panthers attempted a corner kick from the right. Desjardins tracked the kick perfectly into the six yard box and scored with a header for a 3-1 lead. Vallecillo took a pass down the left half of the pitch into the 18 yard box and netted his second goal on a play where he worked around two defenders, extending the Chapman lead to three in the 62nd minute. Blue Ridge notched their second marker of the match with less than four minutes left on a shot from close range, providing the final margin of 4-2. Mario Armendariz tallied a pair of assists, while Matthew Steading added another for Chapman. Landon Pruitt and Cody Benstead combined to make four saves in the net for the Panthers. Chapman (10-2, 6-0 Region) will return to action on Thursday, April 18th at Travelers Rest, slated for a 7 PM kick. Before the game, Vallecillo and Isaac Andryushenko were recognized during Senior Night festivities for their contributions to the program. “Isaac didn’t play for me during my first year here (due to injury),” DowDell recalled. “He came in last year and started to build himself back up until he got more minutes as the year went on… he is such a natural leader. I will tell him that he had a good game and he’ll say, ‘I’ve got a lot to work on, Coach.’ That’s the kind of guy he is.” “In 24 years (of coaching), Brandon is probably the most talented overall player I’ve ever worked with. He’s got speed, pace, and is quick footed. I’ve never seen anyone keep the ball as close as he does and accelerate away from people. He’s scored over 70 goals in his four year career, but even more than that – he is a fantastic person.” WOMEN – Chapman 9, Blue Ridge 0 It was only fitting that one player kicked off the match for Chapman on Friday evening. Adeline West suffered an injury during this past basketball season and hadn’t seen the field for the Lady Panthers soccer team prior to the kickoff. Despite the obstacle, West did not let that deter her from her main goal. “This is the last season that we’ll be here together,” West said about the group of five seniors on the team. “It was really important for me to be a part of that since I haven’t been able to be on the field the whole season. I’ve tried to cheer them on as much as I can during games. I’ve been keeping stats and other things like helping pick up after practice and games.” “Adeline has been one of our captains since last year,” stated Chapman head coach Will Maley. “She swore that she was going to get on the field before the season was over. The doctors cleared her... It was awesome to see her finish out her soccer career with her teammates on the field.” The Panther struck early and tallied four goals in the first 30 minutes, as Elliot Miller and Taryn Rogers each scored twice during that flurry. Rogers launched a right corner kick into the box, where Kaitlin Salbaum tracked it and scored with a header in the 34th minute, extending the lead to five. One minute later, a pass from the right side set up a goal for Chloe Bishop from eight yards out. Savannah Cooke added a goal of her own with under four minutes left in the half, creating a seven goal advantage at intermission. Paola Rodriguez and Maite Cerqueda each notched a goal in the second stanza, as the Panthers shut out the Tigers for a key win in region play. Five seniors – Bishop, Cooke, Rodriguez, Rogers, and West – were recognized during the senior night ceremony. “They are the leaders of the team,” Maley remarked. “As they go, we go. They are such great kids and add so much to not just the program, but school in general. We love them and it’s great to see them have a great night like this.” “I’ve met the most amazing people,” exclaimed West. “It has been a really long journey, but really super fun. I’m very thankful for everybody that I have met on this team.” Chapman (7-4, 6-1 Region) will host Greer in a non-region match on Tuesday, April 16th at 7 PM. Comments are closed.
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