Trojan defense shines in first half before Rams take command

Lafayette's Jason Eckenrode uses a forearm to attempt to block New Kent's Darren McCaughan away from the ball.

Alan Chamberlain photo

For most of the first half, New Kent’s defense rose to the challenge posed by Lafayette’s visiting Rams in Tuesday night’s soccer encounter. But a flurry of Ram goals just before halftime turned the match into a one-sided affair, ending in an 8-0 Lafayette win.

The Rams scored four minutes into the contest, but encountered difficulty padding their lead. The visitors missed high or wide on six shots while Trojan keeper Richard Flournoy stopped another four.

“We held them for the next 30 minutes or so,” said Trojan coach Clinton Leckie. “If we could play like we did in the first half and put that together for the full 80 minutes, the outcome could have been different.”

With the Rams in front 1-0, the Trojans had opportunities to overtake their guests. An offsides call foiled one scoring attempt while Ram keeper Volodymr Humenyuk saved a looping shot off the foot of Nate Cook at the 31-minute mark. Then a Ram defender blocked a Trojan direct free kick from outside the box, and Humenyuk grabbed a Darren McCaughan throw-in near the Ram goal before another Trojan could get to the pass.

But with 10 minutes left before the break, the Rams’ Joshua Brooks centered the ball to Jason Eckenrode who upped the margin to 2-0. In the final three minutes of the half, the Rams punched in two more goals to take command.

The outcome lowered the Trojans’ record to 1-8.