Broncos win District 8-A opener
The Boyd Broncos opened up District 8-A soccer tournament action Monday at home against Mt. Juliet Christian Academy, moving on in the tourney with a 4-2 win.
With just three minutes off the clock in the first half, Mt. Juliet struck first after it was awarded a penalty kick to take a 1-0 lead.
The Broncos’ offense started out a little slow, but after 10 minutes of play Boyd got its offense charged up and Arne Alberts struck to tie the game at 1-1.
Mt. Juliet tried to push the ball on offense, but the Boyd defense stopped any aggression toward its goal. With 15 minutes left in the first Casey Hertwig moved the ball downfield and sent a pass to the open Alberts to score Boyd’s second goal and give the Broncos a 2-1 lead at the break.
The Broncos started the second half with the same aggressive offense they had used to close out the first half. Three minutes had run off the clock when Hertwig once again found Alberts, who fired a shot to take a 3-1 lead.
Boyd saw its chance to take Mt. Juliet out of the game when Hertwig got open and sent a shot just past the Mt. Juliet goalie for a 4-1 lead.
With desperation Mt. Juliet moved the ball downfield and took two quick shots, but Bronco goalie Jay Medley turned them both away. Boyd fired two more shots at goal in the last 10 minutes but missed wide right both times.
Mt. Juliet scored with five minutes left in the game to make it 4-2, but the Boyd defense shut them down for the remaining moments to move on in tournament play.
Boyd had 16 shots at goal, while Medley turned away nine of Mt. Juliet’s shots.
The Broncos will take on the winner of Tuesday’s York-Livingston Academy game on Thursday. If York wins, Boyd will host the game, but the Broncos will travel to Livingston Academy if the Wildcats defeat York. Game time has not yet been determined.