JMH hosts MVHS in derby Friday

B1

By Darcey McLaughlin
sports@miramichileader.com

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

The École Secondaire Nepisiquit Rebels scored a hard fought 2-1 victory Thursday night in Miramichi over the James M. Hill Tommies in boys high school soccer.

Enlarge Photo

Darcey McLaughlin photo

JMH's Jared McGinn with a sliding challenge in the second half of Thursday's game.

The Bathurst-based team was the dominant throughout the match and it took little time for them to get on the score sheet.

In the 14th minute ESN would strike. After several minutes of good pressure and JMH unable to clear their own zone, Michael Arsenau would score from a shot at the corner of the box, beating keeper Zach Robichaud to go up 1-0.

Then in the 17th minute, another chance for ESN, but the shot would go high and over the net. But with the play increasingly confined to the JMH end of the pitch, ESN would get its second goal of the game.

With more pressure in front of the Tommies net, ESN would get a shot off that would be stopped by a sprawling Robichaud. However, the rebound would come back out to Chad Keeley, who tapped to ball in to make the score 2-0 in the 19th minute.

Robichaud was clearly shaken up on the play, but stayed in the game.

JMH would regroup at the half and play a much better second. Just three minutes in some good pressure and better physical play would give the Tommies a free kick between midpitch and the box. However, the kick was misplayed and the chance was wasted.

Then Andrew Drisdelle would go for a nice run, taking a shot a sharp angle to the left of the ESN keeper, but the strike was well over the net.

Then in the 53rd minute ESN would get another chance, sending a player in all alone but Jared McGinn was there with a beautiful sliding challenge in the box to knock the ESN player off the ball and end the threat.

JMH would eventually find the net as Mexican import Rolando would score in the 57th minute to make the score 2-1. It was as close as the Tommies would get

As the remainder of the game played out it turned increasingly physical, with players chirping at each other and some rough play creeping in. Several yellow cards were shown late in the game and one red going to JMH.

Next up for JMH is the second Miramichi boys soccer derby of the season as they host the rival Miramichi Valley High School Pulamoo Thursday at the JMH soccer pitch, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The first meeting of the season at the MVHS soccer pitch Sept. 18 was a classic tied 1-1 after regulation and overtime. MVHS eventually scored a 2-1 win on penalty kicks.