By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — RJ Doell connected on the eventual game winner late in the first half as the second-seeded Greece Olympia Spartans advanced to the Section V Class B1 quarter-finals with a 1-nil victory over No. 7 Newark, Friday night.
Doell one-timed a volley into the side netting from 25 yards out for his first goal of the season.
“I’m really happy for him,” Greece Olympia head coach Rob Duprau said. “RJ’s a captain for us. He’s a good leader. He had a good strike on it.”
The senior defender took advantage of a second-chance opportunity on a corner kick.
34’ RJ Doell takes advantage of a second chance on a corner kick to give @Spartan_Soccer a 1-nil lead. pic.twitter.com/ssmQb24M87
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 22, 2021
Olympia (11-6-0) defeated Newark (8-10-0) 5-nil when the two teams met in mid-September. The Reds, though, had won three straight and four of five entering Friday’s match.
“Tip of the cap to Newark,” Duprau said. “They play well together. They knock the ball around. They possess. They got four or five players who are really top notch. They came out and played hard. I knew they had been playing well as of late. We knew it was going to be a battle.”
Olympia only found the back of the net once, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. After being denied on a penalty kick in the match’s second minute, the Spartans sent 11 shots on frame.
“We’ve worked a lot this week on not just leaving to our top three guys,” Duprau said referring to Philipp Biermann, William Buttino and August Liveng. “We know we got three guys up there who are going to be tough to handle, but we don’t want to put it all on them. Trying to get our midfielders to support I thought they did a better job tonight.”
Sophomore keeper Dylan Mattice made four saves for the shutout.
“He plays way older than he is,” Duprau noted.
Big save Dylan Mattice @Spartan_Soccer pic.twitter.com/a86Mt72vsx
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 22, 2021
Newark’s Ayden Miller stopped 11 shots in the match.
Massive save by Ayden Miller in the second minute. @NewarkAthletics pic.twitter.com/dndZ4yAxk8
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 22, 2021
Olympia plays the winner of No. 3 Palmyra-Macedon vs. No. 6 Greece Odyssey on Wednesday. Time and location are to be announced.
“Every game in sectionals in our bracket is going to be tough,” Duprau said. “We’re confident, and we know we got to keep improving even though it’s late in the season. There’s still a lot to build on. We’re excited to advance.”
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