CHOCOWINITY — Two games into the season, head coach John Lohman is maintaining realistic expectations for the Seahawks soccer team, focusing on fundamentals and improving marginally each week.

He’s also not afraid to test his players. For the second-straight game, Southside faced off against Ayden-Grifton, a Class 2-A team that finished with 15 wins last season. Boasting a skillful and conditioned lineup, the Chargers defeated the Seahawks for the second time in a week, 6-1, but the inflated score was simply a product of late-game exhaustion.

Facing a larger school “teaches us to play tougher and play faster,” Lohman said. “We can’t play slow against a team like this, or they’ll just run around us, which is what they did when we ran out of energy. Soccer is a physical game and a fast game and if you’re not playing hard, you’re going to get whooped early.”

To compensate for his team’s undeveloped stamina, Lohman employed a rather unconventional formation, a 3-2-4-1, which allowed his players to push up on a break, but at times left the defense vulnerable in transition.

Chargers’ striker Enoc Mosca broke down the back line of defenders early. Three minutes into the contest, Moca capitalized on a free kick 35-yards from goal, floating the ball over the goalie’s head, just under the crossbar.

Ayden-Grifton controlled the tempo of the game throughout the first half, but defenders Riley Ward, Hayden Ward and Edgar Aballi frustrated the Chargers’ forwards enough to limit quality chances on net.

After a handful of shots, one that caromed off the post, Mosca struck again with 14 minutes to go in the half from a similar location as his previous goal. The Chargers’ forward bended a free kick perfectly into the corner to put his team up 2-0 at the half.

Despite being outshot 9-4, Southside came out of the break refreshed, keeping the ball on their opponents end and maintaining possession — a product of the formation.

Forward Jesse Lohman challenged the defense and recorded multiple shots on goal.  Ten minutes into the half, the lone Southside striker netted his team’s first goal off a corner kick.

However, a minute later, Ayden-Grifton midfielder Ryan Joyner answered, firing a shot from the edge of the box. The goal drained the Seahawks of all momentum, as the Chargers began to win the possession game.

As a result, Ayden-Grifton notched another three goals in the final 20 minutes.

‘I thought we played well for 60 minutes,” Lohman said. “It was a 2-1 game with 20 minutes to go against a bigger school and a very good team, so I was happy in that respect. But then we just ran out of steam and couldn’t match their speed and fitness. We’re still trying to get fit right now.”

Next week, Southside will host neighboring Unity Christian Academy on Wednesday before hitting the road to face another 2-A school in Hertford County.

Lohman believes the two games versus Ayden-Grifton proved his team could execute a complicated formation efficiently in the face of tough competition. The Seahawks will look to bolster their physicality, speed and passing heading into next week’s stretch of games, all while maintaining the intensity.