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Noell’s three goals lead SM to victory
Eddie Noell scored three goals as Smoky Mountain opened its soccer season Monday with a 5-4 victory at Mountain Heritage.
Bryan Mand added two goals for the Mustangs.
“We expected a tough battle, but we thought we’d win,” Coach Dolphus Brown said. “It wasn’t as close as the score indicated. We didn’t pass well for the first 20-25 minutes. Then we realized we were a little superior in talent and started playing like it.”
Noell’s penalty kick opened the scoring six minutes into the game after a foul in the box.
The Cougars tied it a minute later when Drew Perrin scored from eight yards out off a pass from Landon Medina.
Graham Geiser gave Heritage its lone lead, 2-1, at the 19-minute mark.
The halftime score was 2-2 after Noell connected from 15 yards out to the far post at the 29-minute mark. Jonathan Toledo recorded the assist as he had the ball on the left and crossed it to Noell.
Mand put the Mustangs on top to stay at 3-2 with six minutes gone in the second half. He was unmarked from 7 yards out when he took a pass from Coleman Corzine, settled the ball with his chest and “ripped it into the net,” according to Brown.
Noell’s free kick from 25 yards out three minutes later made it 4-2.
Geiser cut the gap to 4-3 at the 61-minute mark.
“He dribbled through our defenders in the box,” Brown said. “He was magical. I don’t know how he did it.”
Mand’s goal at the 64-minute mark put SM up 5-3. He was about the same spot from where he scored his first goal when he took a pass from J.R. Collins and headed the ball in.
Geiser struck again with 30 seconds to play to account for the final.
The Mustangs had an 18-7 advantage in shots. Bryan Newbold recorded three saves for SM, and Heritage’s Jake Giardina had eight.
“Eddie is clever enough to figure out ways to get a score for us,” Brown said. “Bryan Mand’s two goals were huge. We need him to be confident and score. He and P.J. Arkansas played real well.”
Also singled out were Newbold, Toledo, Corzine and Aaron Whatley.
Due to vandalism to the field at Carr Hooper Stadium, games Wednesday and Thursday of this week and Monday of next week have been moved to the Jackson County Recreation Center at Cullowhee. Those games will start at 5 p.m.
An Aug. 25 game has been moved to Asheville with the Cougars coming to SM on Sept. 29.
The schedule listed in last week’s paper provided the wrong location for the Oct. 6 game against East Henderson. It will be played here.
The JVs battled to a 3-3 tie. Goals were scored by Joey Cox, Ian Youmans and John Brown. Cox provided two assists, and David Cheatham had one.
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