Stephenson’s Anthony Zelaya (9) tries to move past Southwest DeKalb defender Abenezer Sefiw (6) during Stephenson’s 3-2 win on Thursday night at Hallford Stadium. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Stephenson’s Zavaan Muschett put the ball into the net with 6:10 to play to propel the Jaguars to a 3-2 Region 6-4A soccer victory over the Southwest DeKalb Panthers at Hallford Stadium on Thursday night.
The match was tied 2-2 at halftime and almost 34 minutes of the second half went without a score as the two teams battled to break the tie.
Stephenson outshot the Panthers 6-2 in the second half as they moved the ball around the field with some pinpoint passing to make opportunities on offense.
It was one of those passes that set up the winning goal by Muschett as the game clock continued to wind down to the end of regulation.
Stephenson’s Nelson Nehlar controlled the ball on the left side of the goal and slipped a pass past a pair of Southwest DeKalb defenders towards Muschett. Muschett just tapped the ball as it was going by to direct into the right corner of the goal behind the keeper to break the tie.
Southwest DeKalb got one solid shot on goal in the final minutes only to have Jaguars’ keeper Samuel Wessen scoop it up with 1:15 to play. Stephenson (4-2-1, 2-1) was able to run out the clock to secure the win over the Panthers (3-9, 1-4).
The Panthers struck quickly to open game as Ezekiel Babara blasted a shot into the goal just 24 seconds into the game to give his team a 1-0 lead.
Daniel Dokie received the corner kick from Allan Zalaya and put it in the goal six minutes later to even the game at 1-1. Two minutes later the Panthers answered to regain the lead at 2-1 as Babara passed to Rayan Adem for the score.
The score remained 2-1 for the next 26 minutes when Dokie got loose on a breakaway and put the ball into the net to knot the game at 2-2 heading into halftime.
Southwest DeKalb’s Mackenzie Robinson shoots for one of her four goals in Southwest DeKalb’s 7-1 win over the Stephenson Lady Jaguars. (Photo by Mark Brock)
GIRLS RECAP
Southwest DeKalb 7, Stephenson 1
Mackenzie Robinson scored four goals (3 in the second half) to lead the Southwest DeKalb Lady Panthers to a 7-1 win over the Stephenson Lady Jaguars in the opening game at Hallford Stadium.
The first 14 minutes featured Southwest DeKalb’s Aniyah Prescord who scored with 34:42 left in the opening half and then had the assist on a goal by Janiya Dancy with 26:47 to play to give the Panthers (5-9, 1-4) a 2-0 lead.
Kaniyah Barkers made it 3-0 with 11:49 remaining in the first half and Robinson picked up her first goal with 2:47 left to put Southwest up 4-0 at the half.
Robinson put her second goal of the night into the net off a blocked shot by Stephenson keeper Vahn Cooper to make it 5-0 with 33:21 to play in the game.
Almost 11 minutes following the Panthers’ fifth goal of the night Stephenson’s Joi Itson got out on a breakaway to score the lone goal for Stephenson to trim the deficit down to 5-1.
Robinson answered back in just over two minutes as she got away from the defense to put the ball low into the right corner to push the Panthers’ advantage out to 6-1. The junior wrapped up the scoring with 1:41 to play knocking the ball into the net to make the final score of 7-1.
Cooper had 10 saves in goal for the Jaguars before leaving the game after taking a shot to her face and glasses. Southwest out shot Stephenson 25-2 in the game.