THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 13, 1995 TAG: 9507130526
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERRY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Cox's Matt Whalen blasted a shot past goalie Luke Roberts in the second sudden-death shootout to give the East a 3-2 win over the West in the Virginia High School Coaches' Association boys all-star soccer game Wednesday at Darling Stadium.
Whalen had a goal in regulation and scored in each of the shootouts after the teams played four scoreless overtimes.
``You just can't let anything get to you in those shootouts,'' Whalen said. ``You just have to pick a way and stay with it, or the goalie wins.''
Whalen scored the game-winner after East goalie Jacob Etheridge of Kellam had a diving save of Mark Decker's attempt. Etheridge also stopped a shot in the first shootout.
``I recognized where they were going and got a good jump on them,'' Etheridge said.
The West took the lead three minutes into the game when Kevin Knight lofted a shot over Etheridge. Matt Magner answered for the East on a penalty kick 10 minutes later.
Whalen put the East up, 2-1, on a header early in the second half, but George Theodorou scored on a penalty kick to tie the score.
The East threatened twice in the opening overtime. Tyler Jones' shot was denied by Chris Mullin and time expired before Mike Morgan could attempt a shot in front of the net.
The East kept the West on defense for much of the overtime periods, but failed to connect.
``It took a little for us to get used to each other, so that hurt us,'' Whalen said. ``We only had a few hours of practice together so we weren't really on the same wavelength.''
Etheridge agreed.
``We could have been so much better with a little practice,'' he said. ``We probably didn't play that well together because we're not used to playing on a team that's so good.''
Cox's Ben Speckhart stopped several West attacks after regulation, including a one-on-one with Warren Vaughan early in the second overtime. Speckhart earned the East Most Valuable Player.
``It's great to get an award like that with the best players from each school playing,'' Speckhart said. ``But there were 17 players out there and we all worked together.''
East 3, West 2 (4OT) Goals-E: Whalen, Magner. W: Knight, Theodorou. ILLUSTRATION: JOSEPH JOHN KOTLOWSKI
Andre Gomez of Deep Creek High School, left, fights for the ball
against Jason Lester of Virginia High School during the Virginia
High School Coaches' Association boys soccer all-star game Wednesday
night at Darling Stadium in Hampton. The East won the game in a
shootout, 3-2.
TONIGHT'S GAME
Sport: Football
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Local players: Glenwood Ferebee, Green Run; Rudy Howard, Norcom;
Dre Bly, Western Branch; Donald Turner, Nansemond River; Mike
Pishioneri, Kempsville; Mike Hilliard, Kempsville; Todd Hollowell,
Western Branch; Dontrel Parker, Deep Creek; Patrick McDowell, First
Colonial.
by CNB