Loading your audio article
By Neil Geoghegan
ngeoghegan@21st-centurymedia.com
WEST GOSHEN – While it’s true that it’s nearly impossible to win if you can’t score. The West Chester Henderson boys’ soccer squad is showcasing the notion that allowing nothing is yet another tried and true way to success.
In five matches so far this young season, the Warriors have yet to surrender a single goal. And the latest victim was archrival West Chester East Wednesday evening at Zimmerman Stadium. The final score in the Ches-Mont National opener was 3-0.
“Our defense can be a little unorthodox, but they seem to be getting the job done,” said Henderson head coach Chas Wilson. “And whenever they do slip up, our keeper (Dylan Arrison) has bailed us out.
“When we know that our defense is locked in, that gives us immense confidence going forward.”
The Warriors played the style of soccer that has been a proven winning recipe for years with a smart, defensive-minded approach that eventually has a cumulative effect offensively, once the opposition gets fatigued.
“I just told the boys that right now we box like Floyd Mayweather – we make good decisions and we try to wear (the opposition) down,” Wilson explained. “Once a team is tired, it seems like that’s when we strike.
“But I also told them now I want a little Mike Tyson – maybe score some early goals.”
The Vikings (4-1 overall) battled Henderson to a scoreless draw in the first half, but wilted down the stretch.
“The boys gave me everything they had,” said East head coach Charlie Dodds. “I think the better team won, and that’s OK. The effort was there, we just went brain dead in a couple areas. And you make mistakes against good teams, they make you pay for it.”
The first goal – and ultimately the game-winner – came 54-minutes-plus into the contest. The Warriors’ Jason Wildermuth took the initial shot, it was blocked down by East keeper Jarrett MacGuyver, but a clearing attempt went directly to Henderson senior Pat Sinnott, who blasted the shot in from about 20 yards out.
“It popped out to the top of the box and I just hit it,” Sinnott said.
“Pat (Sinnott) is a handful,” Dodds added. “Everything goes through him. He hits that bomb of a shot and we were a little shell-shocked.”
About 10 minutes later sophomore Jake Brogan made it 2-0 with a strike from a tough angle that caught the upper, right corner. Another sophomore, Sam Morris, rounded out the scoring with a goal in the final minute.
“We’ve been better (offensively) all season in the second half,” Sinnott said. “It was nil-nil at halftime against Harriton and we scored three in the second half. We kind of wear team’s down.
“This was a good way to start Ches-Monts.”
The Vikings were on the short end of a 17-5 disadvantage in shots on goal and a 6-3 deficit in corner kicks. But East did have a couple legitimate scoring chances in the opening half, including a laser from senior Sawyer Spiegel that Arrison thwarted with a diving save.
“Credit to East, they shook us up a little bit in that first half. But we eventually settled in,” Wilson said.
“We had two or three chances,” Dodds added. “But Dylan (Arrison) is the best goalie in the area. He was the best last season and he’s showing he’s the best again this year.”
MacGuyver also had a nice outing in goal for the Vikings. The junior finished with 17 saves.
“I just said to Jarrett (MacGyver) that he deserved better tonight,” Dodds said.
Wilson and company know that Henderson’s scoreless streak – now at 10 halves and counting – is going to end at some point. But on Wednesday the Warriors blanked an opponent that opened the season averaging five goals per outing in its previous four starts.
“We are strong defensively – good on the ball,” Sinnott said. “We have the best goalie and some of the best defenders. And everybody works hard and is persistent.”
Wilson added: “We need to be ready to face adversity at some point. When we go down a goal, are we going to react the same way?”
West Chester Henderson 3, West Chester East 0
W.C. Henderson 0 3 — 3
W.C. East 0 0 — 0
W.C. Henderson goals: Sinnott, Brogan, Morris.
Goalie saves: Arrison (H) 5; MacGuyver (E) 17.
