Tigers outplay Pats,win 4-1

It took nearly a half of play for either team to get on the board, but the first half’s final 10 minutes saw three goals between Terrebonne and Ellender, one of which turned into the eventual game-winner.

The Terrebonne Tigers dominated the first half, but saw a multitude of shots miss their target. Between the Tigers shooting wide of the goal and a number of key saves by Ellender goalie Craig Verdin, the teams were scoreless for the first 32 minutes of the game.

“We seemed to dominate the game,” said Terrebonne coach Julio Contreras. “We kept the ball on their side. We moved the ball very well from side to side, looking for options. It’s just the ball wouldn’t fall in.”

Finally, in the 33rd minute—and on their nineteenth shot of the game—Josh Breaux put the ball in the back of the net for Terrebonne. Breaux headed in a corner kick by Josh Beeson to put the Tigers ahead 1-0.

Instead of folding, the Patriots quickly answered. In the 39th minute of the first half, Tristan Rogers headed in a corner kick from Briany Juarez to tie it 1-1.

The tied game did not last long. Less than a minute later, Jordan Cunningham stole the ball from an Ellender defender, and dribbled in front of the goal, creating a one-on-one opportunity. Cunningham pushed the ball into the corner to put Terrebonne ahead 2-1, less than a minute until halftime.

The Tigers remained in control during the second half, scoring in the 48th minute. Will Richardson ran onto a pass form Beeson and pushed it past Verdin for a 3-1 lead. “After they scored the goal we got down,” said Ellender coach Matthew Dardar. “We need to be in shape. We’re not in shape, enough. We need to do more running. We just need to be more in shape, not give up, play harder and be more aggressive.”

Terrebonne continued to threaten throughout the remainder of the game, and capped off its scoring the 79th minute. After a foul in the penalty box, Beeson pushed a penalty kick past Verdin for the 4-1 margin.

Contreras said it was key for his team to be patient after struggling to score early in the first half. “Sometimes you have to be patient and wait for the right moment to come,” he said. “Lucky for us, we got out two goals in the first half.”

Verdin played a key role for Ellender, making tough saves throughout the game. “He’s a sophomore,” Dardar said of Verdin. “He gives everything he’s got every game. In a couple of years he’ll be an All-District goalie.”

With the win, Terrebonne improved to 6-3-3 overall (2-0 district), while Ellender fell to 1-6 overall and 0-3 in district.