Woodstown senior emerges from the gloom to score game-winner as Wolverines clip Clayton
BOYS SOCCER
Overbrook at Pennsville, ppd.
Woodstown 2, Clayton `1
Glassboro at Salem
Bordentown 5, Schalick 1
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CLAYTON – It was quite a gloomy day for most of the first half Monday, but when the sun finally did make its appearance it was as if it shone directly on Don Milhomme.
In a moment that bordered on the spiritual, the sun burned through the overcast just as the Woodstown senior broke away from the two Clayton defenders soldered to his shoulders and he scored the tie-breaking goal that propelled the Wolverines to a 2-1 win at Haupt Field.
“It was magnificent; it was really magnificent,” he said, breaking into a broad smile. a broad smile crossing his face. “When I got the ball, I felt like those two guys were like chasing me, they wanted to rip the ball out of my feet and I said oh my goodness I got to take a shot and I just took it. When I shot the ball and I saw it go to the corner, I thought it wasn’t going in, and when it went in I said oh and the weather, like, changed.”
Even Wolverines coach Darren Huck commented on the timing of the sun coming out when the players came off the field after the goal.
Milhomme, who came to Woodstown from Haiti, has three goals this season and four in his career. It was his first game since celebrating his 18th birthday Friday.
“Don is an inspiration for our entire team,” Huck said. “He’s always smiling and just willing to play whatever role, whatever limit, he can to help the team. He’s good at kind of getting into spaces, slithering through some defenders, and, man, what a goal today. That was big. He’s taken advantage of all his opportunities right now.”
“Don’s just a good guy,” teammate Jake Lewis said. “He’s always happy. He’s always lifting the team up. He’s just a good person to be around.”
Another key to the win was keeping Clayton’s Jonathan Rehm off the scoring sheet. The Clippers’ all-time leading goal scorer has 75 goals in his career, 41 against Salem County opponents, including 13 of his 15 this season, but he has scored only two in four years against the Wolverines (and none against Schalick).
Lewis marked Rehm inside the box and made a brilliant sliding tackle to separate him from the ball with 28 minutes to play in a one-goal game. Tommy Tucci and Andrew Lane had him when he got to the outside.
“There was really no specific plan, just make sure there was always me or Tommy on his back,” Lewis said. “Just keep an eye on him wherever he goes on the field, make sure he’s marked. It was pretty much try to make as few mistakes as possible.”
“He’s a player we just have to make sure we know where he is at all times and we have to make sure we are aware of the space that he’s in because he’s dangerous with the ball,” Huck said. “If we can kind of neutralize what’s around him that would make it a little easier for us and we were able to do that. He didn’t get the ball in too many spaces where it was really difficult, and that was to our advantage.”
Woodstown opened the scoring with 19:07 left in the first half when Tyler Robertson scored in traffic in front of the net. The Clippers took advantage of a defensive mistake to get the equalizer about three minutes later. The Wolverines passed the ball back towards the goal and keeper Lee Coombs came out to get it, but Clayton’s King Mosley beat them all to it and scored into an open goal.
Less than two minutes later the clouds parted and the sun lit the way for Milhomme to score.
“I found an opportunity and I just took it,” Milhomme said. “It was a nice goal. I love when I play for my team and help my team to score and win.”
With the win, the Wolverines (8-5-1) jumped to fourth in the South Jersey Group 1 power points standings.
BORDENTOWN 5, SCHALICK 1: Tim Koering scored Schalick’s equalizer, then Cullen Hosszu-Barrett scored twice before the end of the half and the Scotties pulled away to end the Cougars’ six-game winning streak. Kyle Williams and Anthony Crisostomo scored goals in the second half, both assisted by Everett Barrett, who scored Bordentown’s first goal.
