SOCCER: KATSUMATA NETS 6 IN EAGLES WIN

By Jose Terlaje

After winning their first game of the season by forfeit, the Harvest Christian Academy Eagles were finally able to showcase their skills and talent as they defeated the Southern High School Dolphins 9-1 in their first official game of the 2015 IIAAG Boys High School Soccer season.

Right from the kickoff the Eagles had a strong offensive rhythm in motion. Ricky Katsumata of the Eagles ripped through the Dolphins’ defenders and sent a quick shot to the corner of the SHS goal to put his team on the board 1-0. Just moments later, HCA’s Shashikant Kotwal won the ball back in the midfield and sent a smooth through ball to Katsumata who put a nice finish on it to increase the Eagles’ lead to 2-0.

Southern was then given a chance to answer with shot off a well positioned free kick taken by Seth Surber but Surber’s shot hit the post and bounced out.

The Eagles then went on a scoring spree. HCA’s Kobe Sotelo then had a clean break past all the SHS defenders, getting a 1on1 with the Dolphins’ keeper, eventually sending a shot on the ground to the back of the net extending the HCA lead to 3-0.

Sotelo kept the momentum going and after receiving a perfectly timed through ball, burned the keeper once more to put one more point on the board for Harvest, making the score 4-0.

Not longer after that last goal, Sotelo sent a pass to Katsumata who made his own path through three SHS defenders and sent another ground shot right past the Dolphins’ keeper to further extend HCA’s lead 5-0. As time winded down in the half, Katsumata scored another goal after getting a 1on1 with the SHS keeper, beating him and then sending a finessed ground ball to the corner, putting HCA up 6-0 at halftime.

The second half saw much of the same thing from HCA but the Eagles were unable to convert on many scoring opportunities.

The Dolphins were finally able to put a point on the board after the Eagles’ defense was caught backpedaling, by Napu Topasna who sent pass through the air to teammate Vance Camacho for the finish, making the score 6-1.

The Eagles answered just moments later with Katsumata tallying up another goal off a through ball, breaking away from the defense and scoring once more, putting HCA up 7-1. Just a few minutes later, Katsumata finished his double hat trick with another 1on1 with the Dolphins’ keeper, sending another shot to the corner, boosting his team to an 8-1 lead.

Wendy’s Player of the Game, Ricky Katsumata of the Harvest Eagles. (photo by Daniel Paran)

The Eagles possessed the ball for most of the remainder of the half. The Dolphins had multiple chances to score off of set pieces but were unlucky. In the final seconds of the game HCA was awarded a corner kick that they made use of as Kanta Terai connected with the kick to extend the Eagles’ lead to 9-1 as the game came to an end.

“We are using our same system from last season. Our team is not very gifted physically so we have to make sure that we sharpen our skills as a team in order to be successful. We have to continue to build on our shape and form throughout the season. We are very fortunate that we have a talented player in Ricky Katsumata who has done a great job so far filling in the shoes of our striker from last season, Marlon Evans. I am also thankful that we have a great team of 30 players with positive attitudes and minds open to learning and being disciplined at practice,” said HCA Head Coach Kun Ho Rhee when asked about his team’s performance in the match.

Rhee added that his team must remain prudent and train harder as the season progresses because he has noticed a general improvement in the level of play of the other schools and that they will only continue to get better as well throughout the season.

PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Seth Surber makes his way past one Dolphin after another with ease. (photo by Daniel Paran)

Jesse Camacho celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal on the Eagles. (photo by Daniel Paran)

Francisco Aquiningoc stops the Eagles’ offense and hits the ball out of Dolphin territory. (photo by Daniel Paran)

Eagles’ Kanta Terei gets in the last goal late in the second half of the game. (photo by Daniel Paran)

Ryan Ledger of the Eagles and Dolphins’ Napu Topasna fight for possession of the ball. (photo by Daniel Paran)

Kobe Sotelo fends off one of the Dolphins as he makes his way towards the net. (photo by Daniel Paran)