Gallery by Brad Davis
What a difference a week can make on the pitch. Just ask the Woodrow Wilson boys’ soccer team.
After a disappointing defeat in their opening match of the season against Morgantown a week ago, the Flying Eagles have come roaring back with wins in their last two matches.
Thursday night Woodrow Wilson defeated two-time defending Class AA/A state champion Fairmont Senior 1-nil on a goal from Jackson Quattrone.
Saturday the Flying Eagles followed that big win with a convincing 6-1 thrashing of Brooke at Paul Cline Memorial Stadium.
“I thought we had some really good combinations, and we got some really nice goals today. I was really happy with the overall effort that they put in,” Woodrow Wilson head coach Steve Laraba. “Thursday night was a really good result for us. However, it was a long night, and we didn’t get back until late because of a weather delay and all that. You get a day, then you come back in this heat, so I think we responded really well.”
The Bruins were playing for the second day in a row after dropping a 2-nil decision to Greenbrier East Friday night in Fairlea.
It the Bruins were tired or suffering from a hangover, it didn’t show in the first 20 minutes of action.
Although Brooke controlled the action early, the Bruins could not convert on three set piece chances.
Then in the 18th minute things started to change for the home team when freshman Tyler Snyder converted on a chance in front of the Brooke keeper.
“He had a really good flick. That is kinda dangerous. It wrong-footed the keeper. (The keeper) thought it was coming in and just a little flick changed the direction. Tyler scored a really good goal,” Laraba said.
Two minutes later at the mandatory water break due to the heat, Laraba gathered his troops for what eventually appeared to be a game-changing conversation.
“I thought we started off slow and I wasn’t happy with the way we were playing. Pretty much from the 20-minute mark on, we were very good,” Laraba said. “I think there were a lot of factors today. It was 12:30 p.m. in the afternoon on Saturday and it was really hot.”
Laraba went on to explain what he discussed with his team during the break.
“I just talked about the things that I knew they could do. That was why I was unhappy before the break. I knew they just weren’t playing the way I knew they could,” Laraba said. “I wanted to let them know when they did play to their potential, they were very, very good.”
Over the next 10 minutes, Brooke had a direct kick go high over the crossbar and another chance erased by keeper, Josh Farnsworth. One of four saves in the first half for the Woodrow senior.
The final 10 minutes of the opening half was all Woodrow in a big way.
Hayden Johnson got things started when he chipped the ball forward to a streaking Carson Eckley who beat the Bruins’ keeper. Eckley’s goal was followed three minutes later by one from Connor Molohan for a 3-0 lead.
“Instead of playing our game, we seem to try and play somebody else’s game sometimes,” Brooke head coach Joe Pepe said. “When you have a young team, you will have that. We started out very well and then I thought maybe the overnight stay may have gotten to us.”
In the 36th minute, Johnson nearly scored although he was taken down in the penalty area. When the ball was cleared by the Bruins just before it crossed the line, the penalty was assessed.
It was one of 27 fouls called on both teams during the contest. There were also six yellow cards issued in the match.
“That was just soccer today. It was a physical game. I didn’t think anything was really blatant,” Laraba said. “A lot of people don’t understand those things can happen. We just want to make sure that we are not getting bullied around.”
Johnson drilled the penalty attempt in the left corner of the net for a 4-0 advantage.
As if the four-goal deficit wasn’t bad enough, Eckley out-raced the defenders again on a ball headed for the keeper. With 15 seconds to go before the half, the senior midfielder scored his second goal of the game.
“We are a little bit faster than what I thought this year. I really saw it Thursday night against Fairmont and that is always a pleasant surprise,” Laraba said. “We try not to focus on one or two players, and we want to get everybody involved. I thought the guys did a very good job of that today.”
Eddie Marks would get the Bruins on the board with a goal in the second half. Quattrone would add the final goal for Woodrow on a curling direct kick.
“Woodrow has a great team that is well coached. We just got beat by a better team today,” Pepe said. “The two games down here we knew we would be tough for us. Now we know what we need to go back home and work on.”
Woodrow Wilson (2-1) is back in action Saturday when it hosts Bridgeport at 1 p.m.
