Macon Telegraph, The (GA) November 5, 2004 STRATFORD IN, MOUNT DE SALES OUT Author: Sarah Meinecke, Telegraph Staff Writer GISA BOYS SOCCER SEMIFINALS All those wishing for a GISA Class AAA boys soccer state championship rematch can stop holding their breath. It's not going to happen this year. Stratford returns to the title game for the second straight year after defeating Deerfield-Windsor 2-0 in the first of the semifinal matches. But two-time defending state champion Mount de Sales was the victim of high percentage goals against Westminster in a 3-0 defeat. Instead of two familiar in-town rivals facing off, Stratford meets Westminster in the title game Saturday at 7:30 p.m. "They are the only other team we haven't beaten," Westminster coach Kian Brownlee said of Stratford. "They beat us 2-1 the first time, and we tied them the second time." Prior to beating Mount de Sales, the Cavaliers were also a team Westminster had been unlucky against, picking up a loss and a tie. But the Wildcats capitalized on three set pieces, all in the second half, to advance to the finals. Westminster (15-2-5) set up its first goal in the 12th minute when senior Rafy Bassali took the ball himself and found the right side of the goal. Several Mount de Sales and Westminster players were bunched in the box before Bassali, in the center, scored for a 1-0 lead. The Cavaliers (14-4-2) had just two shots on goal in the first half, both of which were saved by Aaron Adams. "I thought we controlled the entire game," Mount de Sales coach Zameer Sheikh said. "But set pieces are the most dangerous, percentage-wise." Mount de Sales found out just how much in the second half when Westminster scored in the 68th and 71st minutes. The first went in off the foot of Blake Underwood in another mass of bodies in front of the Cavaliers' goal. Underwood received the ball off a Will Blalock corner kick. Daniel Welsh sealed the game with a direct kick over the head of Cavaliers' keeper Jay Gibson. In the first game, Stratford (15-2-3) and Deerfield-Windsor were scoreless at the break. But the Eagles' Mitchell Etheridge broke the tie in the 51st minute when he scored on an unassisted shot. Etheridge shot came from the right side of the box and landed in the left corner of the goal. Etheridge put the game out of reach in the 58th minute after his penalty kick hit the top left corner for a 2-0 lead. "(Etheridge) came to me at the half and told me that if I put him up top, he would get a goal," Stratford coach Mike White said. "He did what he said he would do." ---Contact Meinecke at 744-4248, or e-mail smeinecke@macontel.com. Copyright (c) 2004 The Macon Telegraph Record Number: 0411050112 |
