TOPSAIL RECORDS 3-0 VICTORY OVER ALBEMARLE FOR NCHSAA 1-A MEN’S SOCCER CROWN
RALEIGH – Forward Candon Rusin tallied a goal and had an assist to lead Hampstead Topsail to a 3-0 shutout over Albemarle in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A men’s soccer championship Sunday night at the Curtis and Jackie Dail Soccer Stadium at N.C. State University.
Rusin, a 6-3, 185-pound senior, scored a goal in the 13th minute and assisted Brandon Batson’s goal three minutes later to put the Pirates in command. Rusin was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the championship match.
Nick Colangelo, who also had a goal and an assist on the night, closed out the scoring with an unassisted goal in the 79th minute.
Topsail outshot Albemarle 19-8 and Pirate goalkeeper Michael Hall notched the shutout, collecting six saves. Jesse Duke had nine saves in goal for Albemarle.
Topsail, making its first trip to the NCHSAA men’s soccer finals, ended the year with a 17-5 record, although two of its losses were to 4-A Wilmington Laney. Albemarle, which was the 2002 1-A runner-up in its only other finals appearance, finished the season 16-6-1.
Wendy’s is the presenting sponsor of the NCHSAA sports program. The Raleigh Sports Consortium serves as a host city sponsor for these championships, along with the city of Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2008 STATE 1-A MEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
Curtis and Jackie Dail Soccer Stadium, N.C. State University
Topsail 2 1 — 3
Albemarle 0 0 — 0
SCORING
13th minute T—Candon Rusin (Nick Colangelo)
16th minute T—Brandon Batson (Candon Rusin)
79th minute T—Nick Colangelo.
CARDINAL GIBBONS ROLLS PAST SHELBY 5-0 IN NCHSAA 2-A MEN’S SOCCER
RALEIGH — Senior forward Daniel Montero had a hat trick to lead the Crusaders of Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons to a dominating 5-0 victory over Shelby in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A men’s soccer championship on Sunday afternoon at the Curtis and Jackie Dail Soccer Stadium at N.C. State University.
Montero was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship match as Gibbons made its fourth consecutive appearance in the final. The Crusaders, who also won the state crown in 2006, finished the season 24-2-2.
The Crusaders built a 3-0 first half lead, including a pair of goals within a 32-second span late in the half, to take command.
Senior Seph Babington opened the scoring in the 28th minute, tallying on an assist from Ryan McAnallen, and then Montero made it 2-0, hammering a shot home from eight yards out after a nice through ball from Michael Zimmerman with just less than three minutes to play in the first half.
Just seconds later, Gibbons went on top 3-0 as Montero beat a defender and then the goalkeeper with a couple of one-on-one moves.
Junior Marc Lenzo scored a goal off an assist from Babington in the 44th minute for a 4-0 advantage, and then Montero’s third goal of the day in the 67th minute, closed out the scoring. Montero finished the season with 24 goals on the year, leading Gibbons in scoring for the second consecutive season.
Gibbons outshot Shelby 18-4 on the day and recorded its 16th shutout of the year.
Shelby, in its first NCHSAA men’s soccer final, ended the season 19-3-2, but the Golden Lions had not lost since the fourth match of the regular season.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2008 STATE 2-A MEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
Curtis and Jackie Dail Soccer Stadium, N.C. State University
Cardinal Gibbons 3 2 — 5
Shelby 0 0 — 0
SCORING
28th minute CG—Seph Babington (Ryan McAnallen).
38th minute CG—Daniel Montero (Michael Zimmerman).
38th minute CG—Daniel Montero.
44th minute CG—Marc Lenzo (Seph Babington).
67th minute CG—Daniel Montero (Michael Zimmerman).
