FARMINGDALE — Traip Academy continued its run through the Class C South boys’ soccer tournament Saturday by knocking off another higher-seeded team.
Teddy Driscoll and Pablo Zapata scored second-half goals to lift the seventh-seeded Rangers to a 2-0 victory over No. 3 Hall-Dale. Traip (11-4-1) advanced to the regional final Wednesday, while Hall-Dale finished at 13-2-1.
Hall-Dale had several scoring chances in the first half that were turned away by either sophomore keeper Jayce Nelson or his defense. The best of Nelson’s six saves was on an Akira Warren header late in the first half.
“That’s the best game I’ve seen Jayce play,” Traip Coach Michael MacLeay said. “Some of those saves … were unbelievable.”
The Rangers came on strong in the second half and eventually capitalized on a defensive error by Hall-Dale.
“Just talking at halftime, we were all talking about how big the field was,” MacLeay said. “We weren’t really taking advantage of it in the first half with patience. In the second half we were a lot more patient with our offense and created looks rather than forcing looks.”
Three and a half minutes into the second half, Traip freshman Devon LaRoche stole a clearing attempt in the Hall-Dale defensive end, then fed the ball to Driscoll on the right wing. Driscoll found the top left corner of the net with a left-footed shot just over the outstretched fingertips of Sam Sheafer.
“I was talking to (Devon) on the bus, (saying that) we need that one last pass, that one diagonal,” Driscoll said. “It worked out. It was my left foot. You’ve got to take a hit from outside.”
The goal shifted the momentum to the Rangers, who held Hall-Dale to two shots on goal in the second half.
“It was a great shot,” Hall-Dale Coach Andy Haskell said. “You can’t complain about that. That’s what happens. Everybody wants a quick counter and they took advantage of it.”
Traip’s second goal, with 11:14 left, sealed the victory. Taking a long, left-to-right serve from Ryan Perkins, Zapata headed the ball past replacement Hall-Dale keeper Jett Boyer.
“That was a nice ball to the back post,” MacLeay said. “The finish was almost even better, though.”
Traip won its only state championship in 2006.
“I was telling them (Friday) at practice, I don’t think a Traip team has gotten even to the semifinals in a long time,” MacLeay said.
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