Ketterer scores twice to power unbeaten Unionville past rival Kennett

EAST MARLBOROUGH – The Route 82 Rivalry between Unionville and Kennett is always fierce, and it really doesn’t matter the sport, the venue or the records of team’s involved.

[CLICK FOR A PETE BANNAN SLIDESHOW OF PHOTOS FROM TUESDAY’S GAME]

That certainly didn’t change on Tuesday when the two met with first place in the Ches-Mont American boys’ soccer standings on the line. It was a one-goal battle through 50 minutes of action, but that’s when senior midfielder Kyle Ketterer broke it open with a pair of quick strikes early in the second half, powering Unionville to a 3-0 victory.

“Kennett vs. Unionville – it doesn’t matter the circumstances,” said Unionville head coach Rich Garber. “We could be real bad and they can be real good and it’s going to be a fight. It always is.

“And the kids on both sides play together in club soccer, they know each other. It’s bragging for bragging rights.”

Already halfway through the shortened, league-only regular season, Unionville is 5-0, including a double overtime win over Great Valley. It was a match that Garber missed a week earlier after undergoing an emergency appendectomy. His team will begin the second run-though against division foes on Thursday.

“I don’t know where we are at technically,” he said, “Last season’s team was a little better with all that we lost to graduation, but I think we are deeper than we’ve been in a long time.

“I put subs in and the game doesn’t change a lot, which I couldn’t say in the past.”

The Blue Demons were out-shot 15-5 and fall to 3-2.

“Our team didn’t play with enough heart,” said Kennett head coach Mike Barr. “I’ve coached teams over the years that have had very little talent, but they hard heart and they were winners. That will happen with this team eventually.”

Midway through the first half, Unionville cashed in after a sustained scoring push that included earlier shots by Zach Jackson and Alex O’Leary. Junior forward Jack Watson eventually found the back of the net with a delicate header that got over Demons’ keeper Jesus Zavala-Zavala at the 18:54 mark. Luke Jackson notched the assist.

“Luke sent me a good cross and I hit it with my head and it went in,” Watson explained. “Getting the first goal is a huge confidence booster and it gives you momentum, but you have to try to keep the momentum going.”

Kennett didn’t have a shot on goal until 25 minutes in, but moments later Jiovanni Carillo nearly tied it up, but his shot – headed for the upper corner – was grabbed by a leaping Jack Regenye in goal for Unionville.

“In the first half, not a lot was going on for either team,” Garber said. “But we got as little better in the second half. We found some pockets and started looking for connections – which we’ve gotten away from. We have to try to rebuild that.

“Luke (Jackson) and Jack (Watson) gave us a lot energy in the first half and we needed that. There are times when you are flat and you need that spark. Those guys did that.”

About 10 minutes into the second half, Ketterer let loose with a 30-yard shot that barely squeezed past the far post. And then 90 seconds later, he headed a perfect pass from teammate Ethan Lord to suddenly make it 3-0.

“Kyle saw it, he picked the corner out – and we always tell them to shoot it on frame,” Garber said.

“The difference between 1-0 and 3-0 is pretty big,” Ketterer pointed out.

“One the first one, I saw that (Kennett’s) goalie was shaded to the left, so I tried to put it on the right side. It wasn’t the most powerful shot, but if I just got it there I didn’t think he could get to it.

“The second one was such a nice cross — I just had to put my head on it.”

It obviously changed the whole complexion of the contest.

 “(Unionville) was the better team, but those two goals did change things,” Barr said.

“We are still young and they don’t know how to play hard, and that kind of showed (Tuesday). Once (Unionville) got the second goal, we kind of quit.”

Unionville went on to have a 7-1 edge in corner kicks, which also contributed to the shutout.

“Jack (Regenye) played behind Alex Dolce last year and this is his opportunity to shine,” Garber said.

“The second half has always been a little better for us,” Ketterer added. “And I think we just wanted it a little more.”

Unionville 3, Kennett 0

Kennett                     0 0 — 0

Unionville                 1 2 — 3

Unionville goals: Ketterer (2), Watson.

Goalie saves: Zavala-Zavala (K) 12; Regenye (U) 5.