New Kent rallies with three second half goals to defeat Thomas Jefferson

New Kent’s David McCoy (14) tries to use his head in a battle for the ball against a Thomas Jefferson defender.

Robb Johnson photo

New Kent’s boys’ soccer team needed to find a way to get things going to turn around their season as it winds down. Three second half goals against the visiting Thomas Jefferson Vikings provided the kickstart they needed.

With Mickel Prince scoring two goals to open the second half of play, New Kent defeated Thomas Jefferson 3-1 in the Apr. 26 contest.

In the opening half, the Vikings staved off offensive attacks from the Trojans, with prime goalkeeping preventing the hosts from scoring. Meanwhile, it was forward Immanuel Williams for the visitors that provided Thomas Jefferson a 1-0 halftime advantage.

But Prince was able to get loose in the second half. Less than 10 minutes in, he found goal number one to tie the game up. With 21:12 remaining, his second goal bestowed the lead onto the hosts.

Meanwhile, it was New Kent’s ramped up defense that led to a Viking error. After the visitors were hit with an offside call, New Kent’s Nathan Karraffa found the back of the net at the 11:32 mark. That goal provided enough distance as New Kent snapped their winless streak.

After the contest, New Kent Head Coach Derek Yates is hopeful that the positive play continues to push his team in a positive direction to end the season.

“Currently, we are in the middle of the pack, so we have to finish the season strong,” he said. “We have to play better than we did tonight.

“It’s a tale of two periods and we haven’t figured that out yet,” Yates expressed. “The boys got a taste of victory and how good it feels. If we all put in that work, we will see the results.”

New Kent’s record improves to 3-7-2.