By PAUL GOTHAM
IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. – So much for carrying momentum into halftime.
Trailing 1-nil going into the break after allowing a tally in the closing seconds of the first half, Greece Odyssey rallied behind the foot of Dylan Ange for a 2-1 win in Monroe County Division IV action at Eastridge High School, Thursday afternoon.
Ange beat a pair of defenders off the dribble for the equalizer midway through the second half and converted a penalty kick in the 75th minute to give the Leopards a win in their season opener.
“It wasn’t pretty, but it was good to start the season with a win and also a divisional win,” Odyssey coach Scott Mikulski said. “This team (Eastridge) has had our number the last couple years.”
When the Leopards won a ball in the midfield, Ange gathered it and worked along the left side before he broke free to go 1v1 with Eastridge keeper Sean Read.
“I saw the defender,” Ange said of the goal. “I knew he was going to come try and slide. I cut it around him. The goalie came out and I saw the far side, right in the back of the net.”
“Dylan single-handedly scored that first goal,” Mikulski said. “They did a really nice job against us. They packed the box. They knew everything about Dylan from the past. Every time he got the ball he had four or five guys on him.”
The senior attacker got free along the left side in the closing moments and was taken down in the penalty area for the penalty shot.
Dylan Ange converts the PK in the 75th minute. FINAL: @Odyboyssoccer 2 @ERidgeLancers 1 pic.twitter.com/yiuHcQwCEe
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) August 30, 2018
“We can’t depend on him (so much),” Mikulski said of his senior. “We got to find other guys to step up. We need people to step up who aren’t just Dylan. We have some other kids scoring goals it will open thing s up for him some more.”
Jakson Ihnatiuk connected on a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box to give Eastridge a lead in the closing seconds of the first half.
Jakson Ihnatiuk gets @ERidgeLancers on the scoreboard with this free kick. pic.twitter.com/JL9utbO7zM
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) August 30, 2018
It looked like the Lancers would regain the lead with 13:30 left in the game. Aladdin Ali took advantage of an Odyssey giveaway for a point blank shot from 20 yards out. Odyssey keeper Kyle Pezzulo was there for the save.
Eastridge fell to 0-3-0 with the loss. The Lancers play at Greece Olympia next Wednesday. Odyssey plays at Lima Christian on Tuesday.
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