POINT PLEASANT - The Athens boys varsity soccer team traveled to Point Pleasant, WV on Tuesday to take on the 2023 state champion Black Knights. The Bulldogs’ 6-0 victory sent the team back to Ohio with some pride for their side of the river and improved the team’s record to 10-2 on the season.
The cool drizzly night failed to keep Athens from a hot start and the Knights never recovered. Just two minutes from the opening whistle Braeden Talley found Malek Alasmari with a through ball and the senior got off a roller just in time to beat the keeper off the left upright.
Four minutes later the visitors doubled their lead. Captain Emerson Crowl juked his defender on the right sideline and took off on one of his trademark sprints to the end line before centering the ball back to fellow captain Sully Pelot at the top of the 18.
Pelot and Crowl have been playing together since Tad Albano coached them on the Athens Soccer Academy’s U-8 squad and the pair have become quite comfortable with and knowledgeable of their respective skill sets. Receiving the ball from Crowl with space, Pelot calmly blasted the ball into the back of the net.
The third Bulldog captain, Talley, joined the scoring with just under 30 minutes to play in the opening half with a perfectly placed ball from 25 yards just over goalkeeper Lukas Beckett.
On the other end of the field Enzo Servedio, Matty Pigman and Jack Cablish-Kristofco were holding the Knights at bay with a solid back line. Point Pleasant struggled to get quality looks, producing no shots on frame in the half.
Athens keeper Luke Rodgers helped take his team into halftime with a 4-0 lead with his second assist on the season. Under tight pressure from an onrushing Pont Pleasant forward the senior netminder calmly corralled a headed back pass from Miles Issac and booted a long low pass to Talley who finished behind the defense for his second score.
A heated and frustrated home bench may have sent a message during the halftime break as the Black Knights played a stronger second half, but not strong enough to change the tenor of the game. Their best chance to score came early in the half with a ball available in the six-yard box but a recovering Servedio expertly went to ground to clear the opportunity.
With 25 to play the Dawgs went up 5-0 when Servedio played a ball out of the back to Pelot and Athens’ top scorer did not disappoint. Soon after, the home frustration boiled over when a second yellow card was issued to the Point Pleasant bench resulting in a red card and ejection.
Unphased by the turmoil on the sidelines the visitors continued to attack. Crowl was taken down just outside the box with 17 minutes on the clock and Pelot stepped up to take the free kick.
Always a threat to score, the Knights paid too much attention to Pelot and left Emmanuel Mends unmarked in the box where Pelot played him a short pass. The senior winger easily converted the gift for the final goal of the night.
On Thursday Athens faces the Alexander Spartans in Albany with the Challenge Cup on the line. The Bulldogs took the first meeting of these familiar squads 3-1 in Joe Burrow Stadium earlier in September and the Spartans will be looking to even the season series and secure the Cup for the first time in several years.
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