Aggressiveness leads to penalty kicks, KW win over NK

New Kent soccer coach Craig Aliff is pleased with his team’s aggressive style of play. Overall, that is. His defense, however, could tone it down somewhat in the goal area, he says.

King William’s visiting Cavaliers benefited from Trojan fouls to boot a pair of penalty kicks, the second coming after a pushing violation in overtime. That penalty shot lifted the visitors to a 3-2 non-district win on April 17, dropping the Trojans to 2-6-1 on the season.

“We’ve got a consistent problem of using the body a little too much in the box,” Aliff said. “We keep giving away penalty kicks and we’ve got a real problem with that.”

Penalty kicks aside, New Kent dominated the contest, managing a 23-10 edge in shots on goal. But it was the Cavaliers who grabbed the early lead on Alex Howell’s shot off a throw-in just under the first half’s 24-minute mark.

New Kent evened the count with 7:41 left in the half after the Cavs’ David Herring gave Andrew Morris a shove just outside the Cavalier box. Trojan forward Kyle Leckie quickly put the ball in play on a direct free kick before King William’s defense could set up a wall. Leckie’s shot sailed past Cav keeper Justin Hutcheson to create a 1-1 deadlock that stood into the second half.

Sixteen minutes into the next period, New Kent forged in front on Jared Dickerson’s header off a David Ivanov corner kick. Dickerson used his height advantage to get to the ball before Cav defenders and place a shot over Hutcheson.

Just three minutes later, however, King William took advantage of a Trojan handball violation in the box. Goalie Donta’ Taylor guessed left on J.P. Hudnall’s penalty kick, but Hudnall drove the ball into the right corner for a 2-2 tie.

Both teams had opportunities to end the match in regulation. A pushing violation with under eight minutes left gave the Cavs a direct free kick just outside the box, but Hudnall drove the ball over the goal. Then with less than two minutes to play, Leckie unleashed a high shot that Hutcheson came close to mishandling but stopped to force overtime.

The next penalty for pushing proved to be the Trojans’ undoing with less than two minutes remaining in the first five-minute overtime. Hudnall drove his second penalty kick of the contest into the same spot past Taylor for the eventual game-winner.

Taylor finished with three saves while Hutcheson registered seven.