BY JEFF FALK

FREDERICKSBURG – Actions always speak louder than words. But when those actions reflect loud words, well that just amplifies their message even more.

On a very warm Wednesday evening at Fred Gahres Stadium, an animated halftime address by head coach Ray Kreiser ignited a second-half goal explosion that carried the Annville-Cleona boys’ soccer team to a 7-0 triumph over Northern Lebanon. Nursing a 1-0 intermission edge, the Little Dutchmen netted three goals in the first two minutes of the second half, including a pair within the initial 45 seconds.

Speedy senior forward Stanley Miller potted a hat trick for the Little Dutchmen, while teammate Lucas Guzman contributed  a goal and two assists on Stanley goals. Also tickling the twines for Annville-Cleona were Josh Malloy, Drew Eby and one-time goalkeeper Robert Enigk.

The victory kept Annville-Cleona’s hopes for a postseason berth alive. The Little Dutchmen, who were ranked 15th in a Class AA field that takes ten for its District Three tournament, upped their overall mark to 3-7 and their Lancaster-Lebanon Section Three mark to 3-5.

Northern Lebanon, which absorbed a 4-0 setback at the hands of the Little Dutchmen in Annville earlier this season, slipped to 2-10 on the year and 1-7 in the section.

“I don’t know what we were in the first half,” said Kreiser. “I laid into them (his players) pretty good at halftime. We were in a funk. It helped Stanley Miller getting that goal before halftime. We talked a little ‘X’s and ‘O’s, but it was motivation.

“Scoring three in the first two minutes definitely doesn’t hurt,” Kreiser added. “We just went through a couple of things. They (his players) finally played the way they’re capable of playing. That was probably the best half of soccer we played all year.”

“Up until halftime, we were playing well,” said Northern Lebanon head coach Mark Hubbard. “We had a conversation at halftime. We knew Annville-Cleona was going to come out hard and fast. We got caught not concentrating. They (the Little Dutchmen) came out with two or three quick goals, and the game was pretty much over.

“I don’t think one of our players moved,” added Hubbard. “We stood and watched, and before we knew it, there were a couple in the back of the net. We weren’t ready at all.”

A mere 15 seconds into the second half, Miller notched his second goal to extend Annville-Cleona’s lead to 2-0. Accepting a cross from Guzman, Miller used his right foot to redirect the ball into the net.

Then Guzman beat Viking keeper Jason Wildasin to a Malloy service, and knocked the ball into the goal. It became 4-0 when a corner kick squirted out to Eby at the top of the box, and he hit a solid right-footer inside the left post.

The Little Dutchmen scored goals on their first three shots of the second half.

“We knew they had the ball (to start the second half),” said Kreiser of the Vikings. “They were having trouble getting the ball out. The plan was to really attack it. We thought if we did, we could get a quick goal, and we were actually able to get two. We were able to bury some shots.

“Stanley’s been having a hard time finishing,” continued Kreiser. “With his speed, he can get balls into the box. One was OK, but he just buried the other two. His touch has just been off, but for once, he found the back of the net.”

“Annville-Cleona has some nice soccer players,” said Hubbard. “They have some depth. They’re definitely a good team, but sometimes you can make a good team look better. Credit to them, they took advantage of things.”

The rest of the Little Dutchmen’s goals didn’t come as fast and furious, but they did come. Some eight minutes into the second half, Malloy scored on a corner kick he took, bending a right-footer inside the near post.

Miller completed his hat trick and made it 6-0 when he converted a cross from Guzman into a right-footer to the right post. Enigk, who started the evening in goal, concluded the scoring with 8:28 left, by detonating a bomb from the middle of the box.

“We talk, but we don’t listen,” said Kreiser. “We call for balls, but we don’t pass them. We just fundamentally didn’t play well in the first half.”

“Yes, I thought we played well in the first half,” said Hubbard. “I thought we had as many opportunities as they did. I thought we matched them and played them as well as we  could.”

Annville-Cleona did enjoy the better of the play in the first half, but experienced difficulties generating dangerous opportunities.

That was until Miller used his speed  to beat a Viking defender to a ball deep down the right side of the field, with 52 seconds left in the stanza. From a sharp angle, Miller slipped a ball between Wildasin and the post.

“We started off in a little bit of a defensive stance because we’ve been struggling,” said Kreiser. “We started off more defensive. If that worked, we were going to attack more. They (the Vikings) had a hard time stringing things together. I thought they got tired as the game wore on.

“When we’re in that defensive position, it affects the offense,” Kreiser continued. “But we just didn’t execute. We didn’t make the passes. When we did, it opened things up. And then they (his players) got a little confidence.”

‘We’re very young,” said Hubbard. “But I thought we’d be a little more competitive this year. Saying that, I think we’re getting there. We try to do things. We try to play good constructive soccer.”

The final stat sheet saw the Little Dutchmen out shoot the Vikings 17-1. Annville-Cleona took ten corner kicks, five in each half.

“We’ve struggled with some of the better teams,” said Kreiser. “We’re not a senior-heavy team. Lancaster Catholic, Donegal, Elco, Lancaster Mennonite and Pequea Valley all have senior-heavy squads, and they’re tough games for us. We just have to replenish the well a little. I’d like to be a little better. Hopefully we’ll get ourselves righted a little bit.

‘We’re definitely on the outside looking in for districts,” Kreiser added. “It’s a dry year for Lebanon County soccer. We have to string some wins together. We’ve got to go on a winning streak. We have two non-league games which are must-wins. We have to win five or six more games.”

“What I’d like for us is to be competitive,” said Hubbard. “I feel like we were definitely like that the first half of the year. I think that’s all I can ask of our guys, and ask our younger guys to learn from that experience. I’m hoping the future looks pretty bright. We have some good players coming through.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To purchase images in this article email jkfalk2005@yahoo.com, or to view more go to https://lebanonsportsbuzz.com/photo-gallery/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Annville-Cleona Boys’ Soccer Schedule