Close good enough for Neuqua
When Neuqua Valley defender Asa Carson drilled his first goal of the season just 8:25 into Thursday night's boys soccer game against Waubonsie Valley, it appeared the Wildcats might roll to an easy victory.
While Neuqua Valley did earn its sixth win of the season in Aurora, it came in a close game; Carson's goal stood as the game-winner in Neuqua Valley's 1-0 victory.
Though the Wildcats (6-0-2, 2-0 Upstate Eight Conference) possessed the ball for a majority of the game and continually fired shots in the direction of Warriors goalkeeper Kit Carson, Neuqua Valley coach Jim Johns felt the Warriors defense played very tough on the night.
"It was hard to break them down," Johns said of Waubonsie Valley's defense. "As much as we might have had a territorial advantage, it was near impossible to get behind them."
To Johns grappling against the Warriors (2-5-2) in a close game is nothing new. He feels the competition brings out the best in both sides.
"Every time we play Waubonsie it's hard-fought, and it's a brilliant game, actually," Johns said. "This is like a college game, when you see the talent and stuff out there. The way both teams move the ball, it is a college level there."
With Neuqua Valley pressing hard in the Warriors' zone at the outset of the game, Carson fired a long blast to the upper left corner of the net that gave Neuqua the early one-goal cushion.
Johns hopes to see his defenders attack more often as the season wears on.
"We want both our outside guys to push up a little bit, and we've been working on that," Johns said. "It's tough. It was tough for everybody to score against these guys. They had everybody else covered, and (Asa) managed to break through."
Of Waubonsie Valley's five losses this season, four have come by the slimmest of margins.
"It's the same old story," Warriors coach Angelo DiBernardo said of Thursday's game. "The inexperience, the inability of matching up to the physical play of their team. Hopefully that will (change) with experience.
"We hang in there defensively, but offensively, we've got a long ways to go. We don't create; they shut us down pretty good, and that is lack of confidence. Losing the close ones against good teams in a way is good, but in a way it's not good."