The Lynn Tech Tigers (4-7-2) defeated KIPP (0-11) on a rainy Tuesday afternoon at Manning Field, 2-0.
The Tigers took care of KIPP earlier this fall in blowout fashion, 6-0. On Tuesday, they continued the two-game shutout against a familiar foe.
“A lot of the players know each other. It’s always an intense game against KIPP,” Tech Head Coach Justin Barrasso said.
Early on, KIPP goalie Angela Palma got her hands on a cross before coming up with a timely save on Tech’s rebound chance. The score remained 0-0 with 33 minutes remaining in the half.
Tech’s Helen Pojoy scored at the 31:50 mark of the half, placing the ball beautifully over Palma’s head and into the net to give the Tigers the lead, 1-0.
Cindy De Leon impressed as well, taking the ball away from a Panther and forcing a corner kick later in the half for Tech.
Palma came up with a huge save through traffic for KIPP, controlling the shot right on the goal line after her initial save to keep things 1-0. The Panthers were in defensive mode in the first half, clearing balls downfield for defenders to catch their breaths.
Another Tech scoring chance came with 18:30 remaining in the half. The ball bounced in front of the goal near the Tigers’ Mayrin Rodriguez, but she couldn’t control it.
With 16:59 remaining in the half, DeLeon redirected the ball perfectly over the outstretched arms of Palma off a cross from Pojoy who dribbled the ball carefully near the end line. The scoreboard favored Tech, 2-0.
“That was a senior [Pojoy] to an eighth grader [DeLeon]. That’s a cool moment,” Barrasso said.
Time of possession favored Tech on Tuesday – the Tigers were accurate with their lead passess and prioritized ball security.
“You practice how you play,” Tech senior midfielder Sharon Vasquez DeLeon said. “It’s [ball security] something that we worked on in practice.”
Minutes later, Pojoy performed a nifty spin move near the center of the field between two Panthers. The ball remained in the Tiger offensive zone as a result of Pojoy’s entry.
The halftime score remained 2-0.
KIPP spent more time in the offensive zone during the opening minutes of the second half, but couldn’t establish possession close enough to the net.
Tech’s Angela Reyes completed an impressive entry to create possession, boxing out her opponent and dribbling calmly into the offensive zone.
Neither team threatened to score in the first 20 minutes of the second half. Tech had a free kick, but the shot was blocked by a wall of Panthers.
Defenders stayed strong in front of their respective goalkeepers and time expired on KIPP’s comeback bid. The final score favored Tech, 2-0.
Despite not being bombarded with shots, Barrasso gives credit to Tech goalkeeper Elibette Rodriguez.
“Elibette was just a rock for us in net. The girls trust her, they have a lot of faith in her. She’s critical to our success,” Barrasso said. “She didn’t get a ton of shots on net, but the ones she did, she did a great job.”
Tech hosts Fontbonne on Wednesday at Manning Field with a starting time of 5:30 p.m.
