LAURINBURG —After having their first two games rescheduled, the Fighting Scots soccer team started their season opener at home on Tuesday night versus St. Pauls, with both the junior varsity and varsity teams going down in defeat.
Junior Varsity
The junior varsity club took the field in their opening match up, after three years without a team. The crowd was electric and the stands were packed, eager to watch the junior varsity team shake off the rust and secure a win.
Early on, the Scots couldn’t get their feet underneath them, starting sluggishly, struggling to score and finding themselves in the penalty box within minutes. St. Pauls jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first half.
In the second half, things did not continue to get any better, as the mercy rule was enforced, calling the game off at 9-0. The season opener at home didn’t go as planned for the Fighting Scots; however, head coach Jeremy White remains confident in his team despite the outcome.
“They’re young, and they’re still growing,” White said. “What we are as a team is a flower that is growing. For every bad day, something beautiful grows and our junior varsity team is going to continue to grow.”
“When we play Richmond, you will see a different team, I promise you.”
The junior varsity squad will look to rebound when they face Richmond at home on Aug. 25 at 5 p.m.
Varsity
The varsity Scots continued the action on Tuesday night, jumping out to a 1-0 lead, playing with confidence and a sure focus to leave the field with a victory in their season opener, something they’ve only been able to do once in the past five years.
“We got the first goal; the varsity team showed me something,” White said. “They played harder together than I’ve ever seen in the last two or three years.”
The first half was a back-and-forth battle, with St. Pauls edging ahead, going into halftime leading 2-1. The second half mirrored the first, with both goalkeepers earning every minute of their varsity stripes. St. Pauls would extend their lead to 3-1 late in the second; the Scots would answer with 23:40 remaining, making the score 3-2.
From there, the Scots struggled to find the net, with multiple chances to tie the game, ultimately it came down to missed opportunities that cost them. The Scots would lose in the closing seconds, with the final score 3-2.
“We made too many penalties in the box, and if you take away our penalties, we have a 2-1 win,” White said. “If we control the tempo minus the mistakes, it’s going to be hard for any team to stop us.”
In his first game as head coach for the boys soccer team, head coach Jeremy White did not have the outcome he expected. Taking over a rebuilding program, this loss will be seen as a building block for the future of Scots soccer.
“This is something we can look back on,” White said. “With better dedication and more commitment to one another. I want the boys to come out swinging hard and when we start out fast, we are greedy and want more.”
With a quick turnaround, head coach Jeremy White assures a victory against Seventy-First. “We’re definitely going to win versus Seventy-First.”
The varsity Scots will face Seventy-First at home on Aug. 21 at 6 p.m.