High School Soccer:
Edgewood Stuns Cherry Hill East In 1-1 Tie

Wednesday, October 6, 1999

By Boog Williams
SJSports Staff Writer

On a beautiful day to play any sport, the Edgewood Eagles and Cherry Hill East Cougars matched off in an Olympic Conference soccer match at Edgewood Regional High School. After falling behind 1-0 in the first half, the Eagles rebounded and scored with 28 seconds left in the game to tie highly ranked Cherry Hill East.

In the first half, the speed of Cherry Hill East was very noticeable. Edgewood was playing a counter-attacking game by pushing the ball into open spaces and letting the players run up to them. The Cherry Hill East defenders would catch the Edgewood attackers from behind. Cherry Hill East scored on what looked like a fluke play by #7 Jay Joyce (East's leading scorer). East was pressuring Edgewood and on the second consecutive corner kick from East's left wing, they scored. The Eagles blocked a low line drive kick, but the ball went back to the corner kicker, who again hit a low line drive. This time the Eagles defense missed and the ball was redirected or just hit Joyce and went into the net. When you are a top goal scorer like Joyce, you seem to be in the right spot at the right time. Both teams played a very fast paced, competitive, and clean game. At the end of the first half it was Cherry Hill East 1 - Edgewood 0.

In the second half, the Eagles Sean Geary scored the tying goal with 28 seconds left. Coach Ron Wence described the goal this way: "On a restart, Ian Simmons hit a high ball into the box and Geary headed it into the back of the net." He also said that Geary's goal was the first one this year to be scored against East. Neither team could score, and the game ended in a big tie for Edgewood.

Photos by Boog Williams