NEWARK — Salesianum ran its unbeaten streak to 12, securing a berth in another DIAA Division I boys soccer championship with a 6-0 shutout of Sussex Central on Nov. 11 at Robert W. Gore Stadium at Newark Charter School. The Sals will meet Caesar Rodney, which won the second semifinal, on Nov. 15 at Dover High School.
The second-seeded Sals were in control from the start, preventing the No. 7 Golden Knights from getting anything going near goalkeeper Thomas DeRosa. Their defense smothered Central, turning interceptions and steals into offensive chances.
The Sals got their offense going in earnest in the 12th minute, and they did not rest until the final whistle. A free kick and a corner kick in the 12th were not successful, but the corner required a save by a defenseman to keep Salesianum off the board. Salesianum was called for a few offsides as they attempted to pressure the Golden Knights’ defense.
A steal in the 17th minute led to the Sals’ first goal. Chase Esser went in on a two-on-none chance with his brother, Brady, and Chase sent a shot into the far right side for the 1-0 lead.
Two minutes later, Golden Knights keeper Jairo Ramos-Solis made a fantastic save on another two-on-none. There was nothing he could do in the 20th, as Bryan Perez-Herrera went top shelf after taking a crossing pass from Brady Esser. Despite three more corner kicks, the Sals could not add to the lead. Defensively, DeRosa made a diving stop on a shot by Central’s Caleb Perez. It would be the Golden Knights’ best chance of the game.
Brady Esser got on the board in the first minute of the second half as the Sals pulled away. He deked around a defender and drilled a shot that the keeper had no chance to stop. Chase Esser made it 4-0 in the 46th, taking a long through ball and finding an opening on the short side to Ramos-Solis’ right. Perez-Herrera scored his second a short time later with a left-footed blast, and Braylon Moultrie closed out the scoring in the 72nd.
Salesianum improved to 13-2-1. The championship game will begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday. It is a rematch of last year’s title game, won by Caesar Rodney. The Sals and Riders met on Oct. 14; the game ended in a 1-1 tie.
Sussex Central finished the season 12-5.
