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Cape and Central soccer battle 100 minutes to a 1-1 draw

E.J. Fountain goes high to swat away a sure goal. Central was awarded and converted a penalty shot and Fountain, by rule, was issued a red card and game ejection. BY DAVE FREDERICK
Dave Frederick
October 21, 2011
Call him Surface to Air McMillion or Set Piece Sam, Cape's senior captain is in the mix here, almost converting off a corner. BY DAVE FREDERICK
Nick Prestipino lofts a shot on goal in overtime that sailed just wide of the far post. BY DAVE FREDERICK
E.J. Fountain goes for header, showing some serious neck flex. BY DAVE FREDERICK
Max Euhler readies for header attempt. BY DAVE FREDERICK
Sam McMillion launches himself into rarified air, sending a ball into Cape's end of the field. BY DAVE FREDERICK
Eduardo Santos Cruz says, "I got this," helping out his goalie Griffin Kammerer, who faced 33 shots. BY DAVE FREDERICK
Zane McKaskill protects Griffin Kammerer, and Central's No. 9 William Alvarado looks for a rebound. BY DAVE FREDERICK
Michael Harmon send a ball through that finds Chris Serrano who converts for a cape goal. BY DAVE FREDERICK

A cold fall night on the clumpy pitch at Sussex Central featured a scoreless tie in the first half as both Cape and Central had plenty of chances followed by a barrage of shot attempts by Sussex Central as Cape goalie Griffin Kammerer slid and dove to protect his house. One rebound went back to a Central striker head high, ticketed for the Cape goal but Viking defender E.J. Fountain smacked the sure shot away in a “get that weak junk outta here!” move.

“He didn't have time to calculate, he just reacted like a basketball player to save a sure goal,” Coach Gary Montalto said after the game. “It took a sure goal and moved it to a penalty shot.”

The down side is that, by rule, a defender swatting away a shot on goal is issued a red card and a game ejection.  Cape was forced to play the rest of the game a man down.

Central's Kevin Alvarado just beat Griffin Kammerer low to his right to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead at 31 minutes into the match. Three minutes later Cape midfielder Micheal Harmon played a ball through to Chris Serrano, who beat goalie Gustavo Barrios high to his right to tie the game. And from there it was on! Both teams raced up and down the field, each getting shots and quality chances, but goalies Kammerer with 17 saves and Barrios with 22 kept the game scoreless.

“With 10 men we played outstanding; that was just an unbelievable performance by this kids,” Coach Gary Montalto said after the game. “We could not get the ball to find the back of the cords. I think we had five or six outstanding chances and about two in each of the overtimes. It just didn't go and that's sports.”

Sam McMillon, a strongly built 6'3” Cape defender, had his usual strong game in the back, heading off trouble on numerous scoring chances.

Max Euler and Nick Prestipino both had excellent attempts late in the game beating the goalie only to see shots rolling wide of a goal by a mere foot or two.

Notes:  Cape next plays at 1 p.m., Saturday at Salesianum.  ”I worry about the psychological toll playing three road games in five days, losing an overtime heart breaker to Sussex Tech then another overtime tie against Sussex Central and finishing off against the state's perennial top program in Salesianum,” Montalto said. “Next week we have home games against Polytech and Caesar Rodney and we have to be at our best.”

Cape's record stands at 9-1-2 on the season while Sussex central is 8-3-1. Sussex Tech, after stinging Cape with a 2-1 victory, defeated Caesar Rodney 2-1, improving to 7-3-1 on the season. The Riders dropped to 9-3-0. Indian River, whose only loss was in overtime to Cape, is 9-2-1 on the season.

 

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