By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RESERVE – East St. John has four games left to make a playoff push after falling twice last week to district foes.

The Wildcats fell 3-1 to East Ascension Friday night at East St. John and fell 4-0 to St. Amant at St. Amant last Tuesday to fall to 0-6 in district play.

Andrew Alexander scored the Wildcats’ lone goal against the Spartans Friday, a goal that put ESJ (9-7-3) ahead 1-0 at halftime.

But East Ascension (11-6-5, 4-1) battled back to tie the game 10 minutes into the second half and that’s how it remained until the final six minutes of regulation, when the Spartans converted two goals to seal the game.

“I think we got a little nervous out there,” said East St. John coach Paul Dupuy. “Nobody wanted to see overtime, so our guys pressed up, got a little impatient defensively. We pushed up, didn’t pull anyone back to compensate, and we gave them two easy goals.

“After so many years, it looked like we’d finally beat East Ascension. We just got a little impatient about it.”

Alexander’s score came from a shot 35-yards away into the back corner of the net.

Against St. Amant (18-5, 4-1), Dupuy said his team’s defense wasn’t clicking like normal and an up-and-coming Gators team now ranked within the top 10 of Division I took advantage.

“We seemed to be playing well, then we’d give up an easy goal,” said Dupuy. “We had some great attacks, but couldn’t finish. They got ahead of us and they took control.”

St. Amant notched their first score midway through the first half.

“It seemed like we had a shot opportunity, and another, and another, and they’d all sail wide,” said Dupuy. “They’d get one and convert it. It was one of those frustrating games. But at the same time, St. Amant played great defense and kept us from getting really clear looks.”

Dupuy said that with four games remaining, his team must focus. All is not lost, he said, as the majority of his team’s district losses have been in very close games. The Wildcats, then, may just be a step or two from turning things around.

“We’re getting better every week. We’ve just been a step away in these games,” said Dupuy. “We’ve got four games left to make our move, to show that we can be a playoff team.”