BOYS' SOCCER: Goldsboro completes shutout of Kinston

By Ben Coley
Published in Sports on October 5, 2016 9:57 AM

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In the 62nd minute of Goldsboro's match against Kinston on Tuesday evening, the Cougars were pressuring the Vikings in the 18-yard box.

The Vikings' goalie managed to save one shot, but the ricochet landed on the foot of Noah Gonzalez. The freshman collected the ball, and knocked it in for the Cougars' fifth goal.

The goal was a microcosm of Goldsboro's day.

The Cougars went on to defeat Kinston 6-0 and win their third consecutive Eastern Carolina 2-A Conference game. The Vikings remained winless.

It was Goldsboro's best offensive outing all season. The previous high was three goals, which the Cougars have done on three occasions.

"It went as well as I had hoped for," said GHS head coach Chad Lewis. "We've been playing really good the past few games. I knew we could play like that. I was hoping to get some subs in this game, so players who hadn't been playing could get some minutes in."

The game started Sept. 28, but was postponed until Tuesday because of lightning in the area. Play resumed in the 28th minute, with the Cougars holding a 2-0 lead thanks to goals by Connor Pate and Isaiah Griggs.

Goldsboro immediately picked up where it left off last week. In the 36th minute, Pate snuck a ball into the right corner of the net, just outside the reach of the goalkeeper.

Seven minutes into the second half, Cougars' senior Aaron Seate dribbled into the box unimpeded, and eased a ball into the back of the net.

And 17 minutes after Gonzalez' heads-up goal, Seate added the exclamation point with a score in the 79th minute.

"We played a really tough schedule before conference," Lewis said. "And I think that got us ready for conference. They've been progressing each week and getting better and better each week. They have worked very hard to get to where they're at right now."

Goldsboro is currently tied atop the conference with Greene Central. The Cougars are set to host the Rams next Monday.

Before that match, the Cougars must travel to Ayden-Grifton today. It will be Goldsboro's third game in three days. The team defeated South Lenoir 3-1 on Monday.

"That's why I wanted to get some extra players in," Lewis said. "We needed to give some of our regulars some rest because they played a very tough game last night at South Lenoir. I think I only subbed about four players, so they had a lot of minutes last night."

The Cougars will enter Ayden with great positioning in the conference and destiny firmly in its grasp. But Lewis is hoping that the huge swing in momentum won't detract from his team's focus.

"(They) need to keep their heads about them and not get too overconfident after three straight wins," Lewis said. "A lot of times that will happen to a team. You'll get three wins and then the head gets big and you come out and play flat.

"So I'm hoping they don't come out flat (today)."