Comets, Wildcats battle to draw
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 8, 2010
By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur
East St. John and St. Charles battled to a stalemate on Saturday afternoon at Joe Keller Memorial Stadium, finishing their soccer match in a 0-0 tie.
Though neither team won, the tie preserved a still unbeaten record for the Wildcats (4-0-2) while extending a five game unbeaten streak for St. Charles (4-2-1).
“Both teams played well defensively,” said East St. John coach Paul Dupuy. “St. Charles was) beefed up with the return of some football players. I thought they were very organized and played a strong game.
“But at the same time, we failed to execute at times. We played very hard and gave a really good defensive effort, as did they. We had some opportunities that we didn’t finish like we should have, though.”
St. Charles coach Bill Ballard was also proud of the effort his team put forth.
“Except for maybe at the very end, we played very well,” said Ballard. “We executed nicely. It was a very, very physical game. We had about 18 or 19 shots but couldn’t get one to drop in. But it was a strong effort.
With a chuckle he added, “A tie’s not as good as a win, but it’s better than a loss. You still get points for one.”
Dupuy said his team was determined to not give up the deciding score, and for the second straight game credited goalkeeper Ricky Williams with a standout performance.
“He was probably our MVP on Saturday,” said Dupuy. “He came out and prevented what could have been some big goals.”
Both teams were scheduled to return to action yesterday – St. Charles at home against Thibodaux, East St. John at home against Riverside.
The Comets will have a big test this week when they will travel to Northlake Christian Thursday at 6 p.m., the top-ranked team in Division III in a game recently added to the schedule.
“When I asked the kids if they wanted it, they all said, ‘Let’s play ‘em,” said Ballard.
“It will be a good measuring stick, a test to see where we are against the team touted as the best right now. The big thing for me is that our kids didn’t hesitate. They’re excited about the challenge.”
