Sals remain undefeated on pitch after shutout win at Wilmington Charter

Dialog reporter
 
WILMINGTON – Salesianum and Wilmington Charter both entered their nonconfernce soccer match on the afternoon of Sept. 22 having scored 18 goals and allowed two. The Sals were undefeated, while the Force were 3-1, with only a one-goal loss.
The top-ranked Sals swarmed No. 5 Charter early and did not let up, scoring three times in the first 25 minutes on their way to an 8-0 victory on the first day of fall. Bryce Wallace led the way with a pair of goals and an assist, and the Salesianum defense held the Force to just one shot.

Salesianum won a pair of games in North Carolina last week and shut out its first Delaware opponent, Caravel, on Tuesday. Against Charter, the team’s pinpoint passing, accurate shooting and smothering defense were all on display.
A free kick in the fourth minute sailed wide, and Force goalkeeper Matt Bowen made a diving stop on a shot by Nikko DiSimplico in the eighth, but it didn’t take much longer for the Sals to get on the scoreboard. Jack Leonard took a shot from wide to the left of the goal in the 11^th minute, and Andrew Blackwell was there to send home the rebound. Wallace recorded his first tally two minutes later, taking a perfect through-ball in stride from Ben Strine and going one-on-one with the keeper.
The match became more physical after that goal, with Salesianum senior Gavin Ford getting knocked to the ground more than once. A Charter player was given a yellow card after some contact in the 25^th minute, and Ford lined up to take the free kick from 25 yards out. His shot deflected off the Force wall, changing direction and hitting the middle of the net to make it 3-0, which was the halftime score.

Charter picked up its offense after the intermission, but the Sals’ defense and keeper Emmett McCloskey were able to turn away every one of their opportunities. The defense turned to offense in the 55^th, when Ford deked through a few defenders, rolled the ball toward the net and found Casey Kurlej, who punched it in from close.
Wallace added his second from a severe angle in the 58^th. Salesianum also scored on an own goal and on shots by Leonard and Jacob Ostroski.
McCloskey was called on to make just one save, and it was a beauty, as he stopped a Force blast from about 20 yards out while lying flat on his stomach with his right arm outstretched.
Salesianum was credited with 16 shots and earned five corner kicks. The Sals are home on Thursday at 4 p.m. against DeMatha (Md.). Charter (3-2) travels to Malvern Prep (Pa.) on Tuesday at 6 p.m.