Barrage of quick second half goals seal New Kent’s victory over Southampton

New Kent’s Matteo Mecangeli (18) fights the law of gravity as he makes a move around Southampton’s Juan Gonzalez (15).

Robb Johnson photo

New Kent’s Trojans soccer team has a roster full of talent but have lacked focus in key spots throughout the season. In the May 22 opening round playoff encounter against the visiting Southampton Indians, the Trojans picked up the scoring after a lackluster start.

New Kent scored three goals within the first ten minutes of the second half while preserving a shutout in the 7-0 victory as part of the Group 3A Region 3A playoff first round contest.

The Trojans struggled early on thanks to Southampton goalkeeper Alan Edwards constant stops. But at the 22:58 mark, New Kent forward Jonathan Reynosa scored the first goal to provide a lead to the hosts that they would never relinquish. Angel Garcia scored with 11 minutes remaining until the break as the Trojans carried a 2-0 lead into halftime.

The assault on Edwards continued early on as the Trojans added goals from Calvin Reeves, Matteo Mecangeli, and Spencer Gilland within the first 10 minutes of the second half. From there, New Kent added two more goals during the remainder of the contest to clinch the win.

New Kent head coach Derek Yates said the team will have to take the intensity to the next level in their future playoff contests.

“We played hard tonight and there are things we could have done better,” he said. “I am proud of this group. We got the shutout and we picked things up in the second half by striking the ball better and playing New Kent soccer.”