The South Boys Soccer team’s introduction to Chagrin Valley Conference boys soccer included a little late drama Tuesday night.
The Rebels built a three-goal lead before holding off visiting Perry Boys Soccer, 3-2, to improve to 5-1 and earn their first Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division victory.
South is competing in the CVC this season after previously playing in the Western Reserve Conference.
“It felt good getting that first CVC division win,” South coach Rick DiBacco said. “We know we’ve got some tougher conference games coming up, so we’re hoping a game like last night makes us come back ready to play a full 80 minutes.”
South controlled much of the opening half and took a 2-0 advantage into halftime.
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Reid Munson opened the scoring for the Rebels, and Zack Pizem followed with South’s second goal.
Miles Bailey extended the lead to 3-0 in the second half.
South also received assists from twins Yunus Abas and Yusuf Abas.
The Rebels appeared to be in control, but Perry made adjustments and turned the final portion of the match into a battle.
“We got out to a 3-0 lead, and then probably in the last 20 minutes of the second half, Perry changed some things,” DiBacco said. “They were a different team in the second half than they were in the first half.”
Perry scored twice during the final 20 minutes and pulled within 3-2 with approximately 18 minutes remaining.
That left South needing to protect a one-goal advantage the rest of the way.
“In the first half, we were pretty much more dominant,” DiBacco said. “The second half was probably about 50-50. Their defense tightened up, and we didn’t have many good shooting opportunities, so credit goes to Perry.”
South goalkeeper Kellen Nocera helped preserve the victory with 11 saves.
The Rebels also had to adjust defensively with sweeper Tyler Hacker unavailable. Quinn Faith shifted to stopper as South worked through the lineup change and Perry’s second-half pressure.
The victory was South’s third straight and continued a strong start to the season for a program adjusting to a new conference.
The Rebels will remain home Saturday against Firestone before returning to CVC Lake Division action Tuesday against Orange.
Orange traditionally has been among the stronger programs in the conference, giving South another early opportunity to measure itself against its new league competition.
“It’s going to be a very good one,” DiBacco said. “It’s a great challenge for our guys.”
More Boys Soccer Coverage From OhioVarsity.com
Boys Soccer Match Result
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
30 Perry Pirates | 2 |
13 Willoughby South Rebels | 3 |
Top Performers
Willoughby South
Player Stats
Willoughby South
| Player | G | A | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zack Pizem | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Miles Bailey | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Reid Munson | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Yunus Abas | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Yusuf Abas | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kellen Nocera | 0 | 0 | 11 |
Game Notes
Updated automatically through this result and the latest reported player stats.
