Gallery by Heather Belcher
Coming off two strong victories over Bluefield and Mingo Central, the Shady Spring boys soccer team looked to make it three in a row when it hosted Pocahontas County Tuesday at H.B. Thomas Field.
Fending off a slow start and shots that would not fall in the opening half, the Tigers exploded for four goals in the final 18 minutes to earn a 6-1 win.
“I am pleased with the win, but I would like to see us start faster and be more aggressive early,” Shady Spring head coach Josiah Smith said. “That is what we are working towards.”
Senior Michael Vecellio had a hat trick, while younger brother Nathan Vecellio scored twice to lead Tigers.
“The first half the shots just weren’t falling, going just wide. I stayed persistent and they started falling eventually,” Michael Vecellio said.
Shady Spring scored in the first minute of play when Michael Vecellio blasted a shot that was rejected by the Pocahontas keeper. Fortunately for the Tigers, Nathan Vecellio was there to collect the rebound and rip it in the back of the net.
“We have played together since we were toddlers,” Michael Vecellio said. “We have that connection and we know what each other wants to do without having to say it.”
Although the home team had plenty of chances, nothing found the net until the final minute of the half when Michael Vecellio cashed in on a beautiful ball from Anderson Kim.
The second half brought more struggles for the Tigers and a bit of concern when Matthew McQuain scored on a header midway through the final half.
Whether the score woke up the sleeping giant or shots just began to fall, the Tigers put on a scoring clinic in the final 18 minutes.
“I felt like we were trying to destroy the ball. All of those early shots were blasts,” Smith said. “If they were on frame they were going to be goals, but they were zipping past the goal. Maybe we should have taken a little off and just placed them.”
Micheal Vecellio started the barrage with some nice footwork in front of the net that resulted in a goal with 17:50 to play.
“It takes a lot of practice. I play all year long. This is what I do. It was a beautiful through ball from Micah Smith and I had a bad touch on it. It put me in a worse position, so I had to make my way through and get the goal.”
The senior standout made it a hat trick as the clock ticked under 10 minutes to play when he scored on a blast from the top of the box.
One minute later it was Smith to Vecellio again, but this time it was Nathan on the receiving end. Weaving through the defense Vecellio made it 5-1 with eight minutes remaining.
The final goal of the night came from Smith in the 78th minute when his blast rattled in off the right post.
Next up for the Tigers will be a battle in Lindside Thursday against James Monroe.
“They are hard to play at their place,” Smith said about the Mavericks. “It is an environment where they want to win. They are a skilled team that is well coached and organized. I enjoy playing against them. They are a really good team.”
