Dialog reporter
ALAPOCAS – St. Elizabeth battled Division II soccer power Caravel on Sept. 14 at Alapocas Run State Park, but the Buccaneers had too much offense and left with a 4-1 win. Benhamin Schwartz did not score for Caravel, but he picked up assists on all four.
Schwartz got the Bucs going early, sending a beautiful through pass to Austyn Hamilton into the St. Elizabeth crease in the sixth minute. Hamilton worked around a group of Vikings defenders and eased the ball into the empty net for a quick 1-0 lead.
Caravel kept the pressure on the Vikings for much of the first half, but with the help of goalkeeper Ethan Downs, St. Elizabeth was able to keep the deficit at one for the next 30 minutes. Downs made a number of saves, including two spectacular ones off of Schwartz and Hamilton. The pressure paid off, however, when Jacob Rubini knocked in a crossing pass from Schwartz in the 35th minute.
St. Elizabeth got one back nine minutes into the second half. Israel Bernal-Ortiz came up with the ball after a scramble in front the Bucs’ net. Caravel added two more, one off a penalty kick off the head of Rubini, the other also a header off a free kick. Prithvi Arora scored that one.
The Vikings (1-2) had nine shots to Caravel’s 22. They will play next Thursday at 3:45 p.m. against Hodgson at Alapocas Run. Caravel improved to 2-0-1 and will host the top-ranked Division I team in Delaware, Salesianum, on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
