CLAYMONT — Saint Mark’s took a lead in the third minute of their boys soccer game at Archmere on Oct. 18, and that goal stood up as the Spartans captured the 3-0 victory. MORE HERE
Before some spectators had arrived at the Patio field, the Spartans had struck. Nicholas Rocco got loose down the right side, took a pass behind Auks keeper Ryan Smith and deposited the ball into the open net.
Saint Mark’s kept the pressure on, getting several opportunities to extend the lead. Smith stopped Thomas Stanley on a short shot in the 10th minute, and they had three corner kicks in the space of four minutes. The third of those corners came after Smith made a diving save, deflecting the ball over the end line in the process.
The flow evened beginning around the 20th minute. Betts was forced to make a diving stop in the 22nd, and a few minutes later, the Auks earned their first two corners. Ethan Beach forced Betts to make a lunging save in the 31st.
The Spartans sent a number of shots Smith’s way in the closing minutes of the half, but they could not get another one past him.
A back-and-forth start to the second half included a pair of Archmere corner kicks, but the Spartans took control after that. Smith stopped a free kick in the 54th, but he had no chance on the Spartans’ second goal. Stanley sent a through ball up the middle, and Kieran O’Connor caught up to it and knocked it low into the net.
After O’Connor rang a shot off a post, he played a role in the game’s final goal. O’Connor, just outside the 18-yard box to Smith’s left, sent a pass to Kesler Riviere II at the top of the box. Riviere’s shot was stopped, but Stanley pounced on the rebound.
Final statistics were not available late Wednesday night. Saint Mark’s (6-3) is back on the pitch on Thursday at the Graveyard for senior night under the lights against Conrad at 7:15 p.m. The Auks (6-6) finish with three on the road, starting Friday at 3:45 p.m. at Delaware Military.
Photos by Mike Lang and Jason Winchell.
