READ THIS!!!! Its fron the game last night.
With his team trailing by a goal at halftime, Lejeune head soccer coach Glen Davis hinted at the possibility of his team scoring three goals. Davis' aspiration came true.
Host Lejeune rallied from a 1-0 deficit at intermission by putting the ball into the back of the net three times in the second half before holding on for a 3-2 Coastal Plains 1-A Conference victory over rival Dixon Wednesday evening.
"I told them (the players) that we could score three goals in the second half and that we just had to continue to play our game," said Davis. "I had confidence in them."
Freshman forward Jordon Valdov tallied a pair of goals for the Devilpups with sophomore midfielder Hank Miner adding an insurance goal.
Valdov tied the game 5 minutes, 3 seconds into the second half after getting his head on the ball following a long pass from the right side from Lejeune leading scorer Daniel Griffith, a senior forward.
"We got the ball through faster," explained Valdov of the goal. "That motivated the team and got us pumped up."
Valdov then gave the Devilpups the lead when he scored nearly five minutes later. A corner kick from the left side by junior defender Chris Sokoloski was misplayed by Bulldogs goalkeeper Andy Roberto before freshman forward Eric Fontanella took a shot. The ball bounced off a Dixon player and Valdov was the closest to the ball.
"(Chris) crossed it and it went to Eric," recalled Valdov. "The goalie fell and Eric kicked it, but it went off a player and I hit it with my thigh."
Dixon head coach Kevin Hicks was not pleased that his team yielded two goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
"We had a couple of unfortunate mental mistakes," he said.
Miner put the Devilpups ahead 3-1 with a goal off an assist from Griffith with 16:18 remaining. That proved vital because Dixon junior Justin Oliver scored his second of two goals with a minute left after heading the ball in from a pass by senior Nathan Berkner.
Oliver scored his first goal off an assist from junior Tim Paramore with 1:53 left in the first half.
"Dixon had some chances," said Davis. "But our defensive set â?¦ I have a lot of confidence in because they think alike and they are quick."
The Bulldogs outshot the Devilpups, 14-12, but were unable to take advantage of opportunities. Several clear shots by Dixon were either off target or misplayed. The Bulldogs were called offside five times.
"We created five one-on-ones with the keeper," said Hicks. "We passed and possessed well, but at the end of the day, it comes down to how many you can put into the back of the net.
"I was proud of how we played and how we created chances, but it just didn't lead to goals."
With the win, Lejeune, the reigning NCHSAA 1-A East Regional champion and currently ranked No. 1 in the latest N.C. Soccer Coaches Association 1-A poll, improved to 10-2-2 overall and 2-0 in Coastal Plains Conference play.
Dixon fell to 5-8 overall in dropping its conference opener.
"We have just played two of the top five (1-A) teams in the state," Davis said, referring to also defeating Topsail earlier this week. "We are happy where we are being 2-0 in the conference."
Dixon 1 1 - 2
Lejeune 0 3 - 3
GOALS -D: Oliver 2. L: Valdov 2, Miner. ASSISTS - D: Paramore, Berkner. L: Griffith 2, Fontanella. IN GOAL - D: Roberto (7 saves). L: Tesch (11 saves). SHOTS ON GOAL - D 14, L 12. CORNER KICKS - D 5, L 8. RECORDS - D: 5-8, 0-1, hosts Pamlico Monday. L: 10-2-2, 1-0, hosts East Carteret Monday. | 
