Wakefield boys soccer
Senior Ben Luther (6) scored a goal in the Wolverines' 13-0 rout of Knightdale Monday night.
Wolverines open in impressive fashion
As any good coach would, Wakefield boys soccer coach Scott Sloan looked for the dark cloud in the Wolverines' 13-0 rout of Knightdale Monday night.
Yes, the Wolverines looked downright dominant, staking an 8-0 lead by halftime on the strength of four Ryan Metts goals.
But Sloan knows 13-0 shutouts won't be the norm come Cap-7 Conference time, and the Wolverines need to learn as much as they can before league play begins.
For that reason Sloan — who did acknowledge the victory was a great way to open — pulled at a few small treads in the lopsided win.
"If you are looking to get something bad out of this — and we have to — we didn't like the runs of our forwards," Sloan shrugged. "They were too predictable. And we looked far too often for the big ball. Teams that defend well and are organized in the back aren't going to let us get behind that easily."
Sloan added the Wolverines' set pieces, especially corner kicks weren't very good.
"I don't think we even put any on frame from our corner kicks," the coach explained.
But all in all, the coach couldn't complain much, pointing out the Wolverines looked fluid by offensively and defensively.
In addition to Metts' big night, eight other Wolverines (Vince Cervantez, Alex de Groot, Brent Keller, Davis Edwards, Ben Luther, Hunter Frank and Jay Williams) tallied at least one goal. Williams posted two scores. Metts also had three assists in the win.
Sloan explained Knightdale might have been overmatched, but the Knights battled despite falling behind early and never really getting back into contention.
"We controlled the midfield, and that is a key for us," Sloan said. "But you know, to Knightdale's credit, they didn't give up. They kept playing hard."
With his three captains, Metts, Williams and defender Greg Judge, leading the way, Sloan believes the Wolverines have the chance to be special this fall.
"They are the glue to this group," he said. "If they want to push this team forward — it's all on them — we could be a very pretty good group."
Wakefield returns to action Saturday, competing against Wilson Fike at 11:45 a.m. in The Brittany Willis Memorial Scholarship Soccer Showcase in Wilson. The event honors the life of Willis, a former Wilson Hunt graduate who was abducted and killed shortly after her graduation.
Cap-7 Conference rivals Millbrook and Leesville Road are also scheduled to play in The Brittany. The Wildcats are slated to also play Wilson Fike, but Friday at 8 p.m. The Pride squares off with Cape Fear at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
"The Brittany is just wonderful event," Sloan said. "It's premise is just fantastic, and we really look forward to it. It's an absolute privilege and honor to be a part of it."
With most squads just getting their schedules underway, the two-day tournament is an unofficial kickoff to the 2009 schedule. And Sloan said there's a lot of excitement around event.
"It has that tournament feet to it, and the boys know that college recruiters are going to be there — so they play hard," the Wakefield coach said. "I don't want to jinx us, but we — both the boys and girls' teams — have played well there. And it's a trend we want to continue."
Following Saturday's match-up, the Wolverines lock horns with the Knights again Monday, visiting Knightdale at 6:30 p.m.
