Pilot Cup: Eastbluff a fraction better
The players for the fifth- and sixth-grade boys’ Silver Division soccer team from Eastbluff Elementary said they were just having fun when they all added fractions to the numbers they wrote on the back of their Daily Pilot Cup T-shirt/jerseys.
But perhaps it was foreshadowing.
The Tide, after all, defeated Carden Hall by the narrowest of margins Friday, and just in the nick of time at Costa Mesa High.
Jack Newton’s bending corner kick from the right flag found its way into the net in the 46th minute for the winning edge in a 3-2 triumph that helped Eastbluff advance to Saturday’s championship quarterfinals.
A tie would have allowed Carden Hall to advance, based on goal differential.
Newton’s jersey No. 2 2/3 was fitting, since he was involved in exactly two of the three Eastbluff goals, all of which came after Carden Hall forged a 2-0 halftime lead.
The Eagles broke on top in the sixth minute, when Kolby Parrott directed Will Patterson’s driving corner kick into the net.
Carden Hall doubled its lead in the 21st minute when Parrott delivered a cross that Ali Abdel Mooti punched into the net.
But Eastbluff needed a span of less than two minutes to pull even after halftime, as Reese Carter twice ran onto through balls to create breakaways, and he converted both to create a 2-2 deadlock.
Newton passed ahead to Carter, who scored all four goals in Eastbluff’s 4-1 opening win over Our Lady Queen of Angels. Carter deftly delivered his shot inside the far post just four minutes into the 25-minute second half.
In the 31st minute, Greg Chinnici connected with Carter, who had once again bolted past the Carden Hall back line. Carter coolly converted yet again for his sixth goal of the tournament.
But the score remained deadlocked for the next 15 minutes, until Newton, a club player who said he had scored on numerous corner kicks before, accomplished the difficult task of striking the outside of the ball with his right foot from the right flag to produce a drive that glanced off the goalkeeper’s raised right arm.
“I have actually scored a bunch of times [on a corner kick], but normally not from the right side, because I’m a right-footed player,” Newton said. “I was just trying to get it anywhere near the goal and let my team collapse onto the goal and maybe get a score. I was excited [to score]. That was a lot of fun.”
Reese also kissed a shot off the crossbar moments before the winning goal to help Eastbluff earn a 12-11 advantage in shots.
Mack Packard made six saves for Eastbluff, including one on a point-blank shot by the Eagles’ J.B. Ohland midway through the second half.
Bo Graham made four saves for Carden Hall, for which Patterson (two), Ohland, Kyle Waterman and Aiden Azar all had goals in the Eagles’ 5-0 win over Our Lady Queen of Angels.
Waterman and Azar were unable to attend Friday’s game, as was the case for Eastbluff standout Chris Casey, whom Eastbluff Coach Roy Newton said had been a dynamic presence for the Tide.
Also leading the way for Eastbluff was sweeper Jake Melcer, Tomas Loureiro and Michael Falschlehner.
Ben Grandel, Jake Zacher and Ethan Maholic also contributed for the winners on Friday.
Tiam Shaker was there to cheer on his Eastbluff teammates, though sidelined with a broken wrist suffered in Eastbluff’s practice game, Roy Newton said.
“It was about keeping our shape and our ability to keep coming at them,” Roy Newton said. “And our guys didn’t get down on themselves [when they fell behind]. We fought hard to the last second. If your kids will go through a burning building for each other, they can beat anyone.”
Carden Hall’s cause was aided by the play of Preston Pitchess, brothers Max and Alex Morehead, Zach McMillan, Duncan Needham and Kuhen Hamilton.
Carden Hall was coached by Jeff Ohland.
Eastbluff assistant coach Enrique Melcer stood in for Roy Newton, who arrived 13 minutes into the game. Both provided strong guidance throughout for the Tide.
Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5