Rysen Richardsons’ two goals helped Alcovy sweep Newton in Region 2-AAAAAA soccer action Friday night.
Alcovy came out hot in the first half, attacking, moving the ball and spreading the Newton defense early on, leading to a 3-2 victory.
Richardson attacked Newton quickly on a breakaway ball and scored the Rams’ first goal 12 minutes into the match. A few minutes later, Richardson got a great pass into the penalty box, and finished it with another goal.
“We knew we had to start fast,” Alcovy coach Chris Edgar said. “Our players came out prepared and ready to play.”
In a physical and tightly called match, Newton had a penalty called on it in the 18-yard box, and Alcovy’s Jordan Adair put the penalty kick away for a 3-0 lead.
Newton finished the half strong, getting on the board with 3 minutes to go before halftime, and trailed 3-1 going into the break.
In the second half, Newton came out striking. The ball movement improved from the first half and they attacked more on offense. The momentum shifted toward Newton’s side, leading to another Rams’ goal, with 22 minutes to play.
Newton had many chances to get the tying goal, and came very close on some shots but couldn’t get it in and Alcovy held on.
“I knew Newton had a lot of heart,” Edgar said. “I’ve got mad respect for Newton and what they do. I’m just thrilled with my guys.”
Lady Tigers score 2 in second half
After a back-and-forth first half, Alcovy managed two goals in the second and held on for a 2-1 victory over cross-town rivals Newton Friday night.
The Lady Tigers remained unbeaten in five Region 2-AAAAAAA matches as their defense continues to improve.
The Lady Tigers gave up 10 goals in a loss at Grayson March 12, before beating Luella 3-2 on March 15, and allowing just one goal against the visiting Lady Rams.
Friday night, each side had several chances on goal and each team’s goalkeepers weren’t letting up with great saves to leave the scoreboard blank after one half of play.
“Our defense was playing well,” said Alcovy girls’ coach Phillip Davidson. “They were pushing the ball up and clearing it out.”
The Lady Tigers came out attacking in the second half, using great passing and solid defense. Alcovy’s Sage Fuller got the first score of the match with a breakaway goal, seven minutes into the second half.
Alcovy scored another goal with 18 minutes left in the second half. This time, it would be Alex Jordan getting in on the act, dribbling past the defense and putting it in the net.
“We did a good job in the second half,” Davidson said. “We passed the ball around and got up there and took some shots.”
Newton didn’t let up though, getting a goal with 3 minutes left. The Lady Rams tried to push another one in to for the tie, but came up short of their first win in nine matches this season.
