Spartan boys soccer opens Titan Classic with 3-2 victory
By Michael Ashford
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
The Emporia High boys soccer team got a go-ahead goal from Aaron Aleman with just 49 seconds left to secure a victory over Wichita East Monday in the first round of the Titan Classic in Wichita.
After an East goal with 5 minutes left tied the score at 2, Aleman, a defensive midfielder, received a pass from forward Alex Guevara and rocketed a left-footed shot into the net for the game-winner.
“Sometimes the best defense is a good offense,” EHS coach Steve Pearson. “This game was an example of two teams with powerful offenses and unsteady defenses.”
The Spartans (2-0) played without one of their starting defenders, Brandon Heavener, and three reserve defenders, Chase Miller, Sergio Segura and Mark DeDonder, as all were in New York at the U.S. Open tennis tournament with the EHS boys and girls tennis teams.
However, the Spartans got enough defensive effort from forward-turned-defender Brian Tabares and Juan Carlos Rangel, Joey Sanchez and goalkeeper Spencer Anderson.
“I was wondering how well our defense would hold this game,” Pearson said. “(In) the second half, we fought off more attacks but managed to keep their (East’s) shots on goal down to just two.”
Emporia jumped out to the early lead when Adam Sanchez headed home a cross from midfielder Adrian Trujillo in the 10th minute. However, the Spartans were unable to increase that lead despite out-shooting the Blue Aces by 12 shots in the first half. East tied the score at 1 with a goal from Chris Parrish, who dribbled around four defenders to face Anderson inside the goal box for a shot only a few feet away from the packed goal.
Emporia regained the lead early in the second half when forward Carlos Antonio chipped a shot past the keeper on an assist from Gary Rivera to make it 2-1. The two teams’ defenses battled the rest of the way until East finally answered, getting a goal from Jacob Taylor with 5 minutes left to tie it at 2.
But a few minutes later, Aleman got behind the East defense and knocked in the game-winner, giving Emporia the victory and allowing the Spartans to advance into the tournament’s second round.
“This was another big win for us,” Pearson said. “The Blue Aces stomped us in the tournament last year, 6-2. This was appropriate revenge. The Aces are a good team and I think they were surprised when we came back this year and put them against the ropes.”
The victory put the Spartans in a Wednesday night game against the winner of the Wichita North-Great Bend match, the results of which were unavailable at press time.
Titan Classic
Monday at Wichita
Emporia 3, Wichita East 2
Emporia 1 2 — 3
Wichita East 1 1 — 2
Shots on goal — Emporia 10, WE 5. Saves — Emporia: Spencer Anderson 2, Team 1; WE 7. Corner kicks — Emporia 2, WE 4. Direct kicks — Emporia 10, WE 15. Indirect kicks — Emporia 1, WE 1. Yellow cards — Emporia 1 (Brian Dorsey), WE 2 (Jacob Taylor, Ryan Graham).
Records — Emporia (2-0).