Axton, VA - Saturday, October 26, 2024
Cape Fear vs Patrick & Henry
Cape Fear wins 1-0
Highlights: The Cape Fear Community College Men's Soccer team clinched the Region 10 Conference Championship with a 1-0 victory over #1 seed Patrick & Henry, earning their first conference title since 2008.
Cape Fear set the tone early, pressing Patrick & Henry's defense and forcing a turnover deep in their opponent's third. Freshman Cuitlahuac Gonzalez capitalized, taking a precise touch past his defender and launching a shot from 18 yards out to give the Sea Devils a 1-0 lead in the first half.
The opening 45 minutes were a challenging back-and-forth - with Cape Fear battling to maintain their slim lead while enduring a wave of attacks from Patrick & Henry. In the second half, the game shifted as Patrick & Henry ramped up their pressure, and Cape Fear struggled to break out of their own half. The Sea Devils were put to the test when freshman Tanner Small received a second yellow card, leaving Cape Fear down to 10 men for the final 16 minutes.
However, the team's gritty nature came through, blocking shot after shot and winning crucial headers in the box, refusing to surrender their hard-earned lead. "In the beginning of our season, our team would have struggled to lock in and finish strong against such a challenge," said Head Coach Giovanni Vlahos. "But the development is what myself and Coach Connor are most proud of. Our players sacrificed everything on the pitch tonight and all of our hard work throughout the season is finally paying off. As we like to say - steel forges steel."
The Sea Devils ended the match with 2 shots compared to the Pats' fiery 32, which includes 3 corners to nil for CFCC. Cape Fear will now carry this momentum as they will travel to the Champion of the matchup between Region 7 (TN) and Region 17 (GA) for the Atlantic District Tournament. The winner of the district tournament will receive a bid to the National Tournament on November 17-23, 2024 at John Hunt Park and Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville, AL.
