By By GREG KATSKI
Staff Writer
The Washington boys’ soccer team had some early chances to knock off long time rival New Bern on Wednesday night, but lost momentum and the game 2-0.
After the Pam Pack’s first win of the season Monday over Class 2-A Edenton, Washington head coach Jimmy Kozuch said his team still had work to do, and starting goalie Steven Worsley reiterated that fact after Wednesday night’s loss.
“A few more practices and we should be pretty good,” he said.
Coming off a 4-2 drubbing of Edenton on Monday, the Pam Pack came out strong against their former Coastal Conference rivals.
After a strong New Bern shot on goal was headed out by Washington defenseman Cameron Ashley, speedy Pam Pack forward Jimmy Hardison beat the Bears defense for a breakaway shot. Streaking up the near side of the field, Hardison booted a shot that shanked off the top of the goal post.
After the game, Kozuch lamented that his team “dominated” for 25 minutes with nothing to show for it.
“We hit a post and had four or five shots that could’ve went in,” he said. “We could have easily been up 3-0 or 3-1.”
Narrowly avoiding a one-shot deficit with 25 minutes gone by in the first half, New Bern took control of the game.
Following a few diving stops by Worsley in the box, the Bears got a goal at the 7 minute mark in the first.
New Bern’s Dylan Simel lofted a corner kick in front of the goal that was headed in for a score by Jud McAden.
Washington went in to halftime down 1-0, but Kozuch said his team never really recovered from New Bern’s first goal of the night.
“We lost momentum and kind of collapsed a little bit,” Kozuch said. “Once they had the momentum, our spirits were down a little bit, and we were off our game for pretty much the rest of the game.”
Hardison got a few contested shots on goal, but his star forward teammate, Bladimir Romero, was shut down for the majority of the game by a physical Bears defense.
“They knew what they were doing,” Kozuch said about New Bern’s defensive strategy.
The Bears capped off the scoring when the lengthy Sasha Seymore headed in a goal in front of a crowded net at the 24 minute mark in the second.
The Pam Pack return to action next week when they travel to Edenton for a first-game rematch before participating in the Kill Devil Hills Tournament on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28-29. The field includes First Flight, A.C. Reynolds and Currituck.
“We’ll try to get prepared (for the tournament),” Kozuch said.