For the first time since 2019, the Cherry Hill West Boys Soccer team picked up a win against Olympic Conference opponent Rancocas Valley, as they enjoyed a resounding 5-1 victory.
Warm-ups were underway when rain started to come down just 15 minutes prior to the opening kick. Field conditions were slick, however it did not serve to be an issue for the Lions. The rain continued to fall for most of the first half. Despite it, junior Cooper Macri netted his 2nd goal of the season in the 28th minute of play. The weather had then subsided, but tempers did not as there was constant jawing back and forth between the two teams.
Play was uneventful as the teams kept trading possession until Macri tallied his 2nd goal of the game (3rd of the season) with less than two minutes remaining in the half.
Captain Jordan Marerro made sure to remind his team not to let off the gas after they took the 2-0 lead. When play resumed in the 2nd half, the captain reinforced his message by giving West a three-goal advantage (his third goal of the season). Marerro, who was involved in the chirping between teams, was very energetic in his celebration as he took it to the corner post.
Seven minutes later, West let up their only goal of the match after a few unlucky bounces off the post and goalkeeper Orlando Morales.
Tensions continued to rise, especially on the visitors’ side, partly due to frustration from their lack of offensive production, as well as how the scoreboard was looking. After some West players retaliated, the Rancocas Valley assistant coach lost his cool as well. He also began to let the refs know what was on his mind. Despite this, West didn’t let it affect their play, as in the 60th minute, junior Jeffery Morse recorded his first goal of the year.
The score was now 4-1 in favor of West, and a few JV members came over from their ongoing matchup on the lower field. In his first- ever varsity minutes, junior Gabe Bracy made a quick impact for the Lions. He took advantage of his playing time by seaming a pass to senior Jacob Cohen, who went right through three defenders to score his first goal of the season. When asked about his performance, Bracy said, “It was good. First varsity minutes, but I was kinda disappointed because the JV game wasn’t over. It was tied 0-0, I really wanted to seal the JV game”.
This was, without a doubt, a statement win for the Lions, as they improved their overall record to 5-2 and remain on top of their division. This coming week, they have two very difficult opponents: Lenape (6-1-1 record) and cross-town rival CH East (3-3-2).