Champion scores flurry of goals in 2nd half to down Campbell
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CHAMPION -- The first 40 minutes of Wednesday's contest between Champion and Campbell was a back-and-forth affair with neither team able to find the back of the net.
That changed after halftime, however, as the Golden Flashes scored three goals in the first 20 minutes of the second half to beat Campbell, 3-1, in a Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference matchup.
Champion coach Shawnn Wilson noted a key difference in the first and second half, and it came down to awareness.
"In the first half, we were a little bit confused. Campbell really played well, and they took it at us," Wilson said. "I told the guys, it doesn't matter who it is, everybody's gotta be coming to play. The main thing is we have to come to play. We didn't come to play the first half as a group."
Flashes senior Carter Chapin broke the deadlock just 90 seconds into the second half.
Senior Hunter Maylone and sophomore Niko Ross soon followed with goals of their own.
Coming off a district title last season and returning an experienced group to the fray, the Flashes (6-0-2, 5-0 MVAC) are eager to take that next step and win a regional game for the first time.
Playing the rest of the season the way they did in the second half would be a big boost.
"They just got to play together as a group," Wilson said. "You got a goalie (Ty Horm) who limits opposing goals to one, if that, we have a defense that lost one (senior) from that group back there (last year). They know how to get it done. It's just doing it as a group and as a team. Once they figure out a little bit of the pieces that we've been talking about, they're unstoppable. Total faith in what these guys can do. It's very apparent because they're all seniors, and it's nice that we have that experience and know what it's like to win in the big games."
Junior David Diaz scored in the final five minutes to break the clean sheet.
The difference in the second half came down to intensity. Champion ramped its intensity up, while Campbell's faltered.
"We were able to match that intensity," Red Devils coach Dallan Patterson said of his team's success in the first half. "It's just we couldn't keep it consistent. We never hold that standard. Like we set a standard and we can't rise above it. We always drop below it. I felt skill-wise, we matched up with them pretty well. They just were well organized and they were disciplined in their organization, so just being able to stay disciplined with that, we would have probably kept it closer a little longer."
Campbell (7-3, 4-2 MVAC) is scheduled to face Mineral Ridge at noon on Saturday. With a young team, Patterson thinks there's plenty his group can pull from this game and apply it throughout the rest of the season.
"You always learn from your opponents," Patterson said. "See what they did that was difficult for you. What did we do that we're usually successful with that they were able to stop and why. Just being organized. We're definitely going to go back and watch this game as a team and just pick apart how well they hold their line in the back or how they understand where each other are at all times, so it's easy to distribute the ball."
Champion next travels to Newton Falls on Monday for a tilt against the Tigers.