Wreckers come out on top in dramatic game vs Westhill
Staples celebrates Matthew Shackelford’s ’23 last minute goal (Photo by Mark Sikorski)
The Staples boys’ varsity soccer team topped Westhill highschool in a thrilling 4-3 win on Sept. 19. The Wreckers saw themselves squander a 3-0 lead, leaving the game until forward Matthew Shackelford ’23 found a winner with just over two minutes left on the clock.
Despite conceding three goals in a 20 minute spell, the Wreckers were able to pick their heads up and secure their second win of the season as Shackelford fired the ball into the bottom right corner just outside the box to mark his second goal of the game. As the clock expired, the home crowd erupted as Shackelford ran toward the Staples bench in celebration, where he was embraced by a sea of blue.
“Lately, I haven’t been able to put those in the back of the net, but I have been watching my teammates pick up the slack for me and I felt like it was my turn to put one in,” Shackelford said. “I picked my head up, there was a lot of space and I hit it.”
Also proving to be a decisive moment in the game was when Avery Mueller ’24 was able to slot in a well-crafted goal to extend Staples’ lead to 2-0, shortly after the halftime restart. The goal was assisted by Dylan Hoke ’24, who was also able to get on the scoresheet, scoring Staples’ first. The Junior duo of Hoke and Mueller both played the full 80 minutes, making them influential towards their team’s success.
“Dylan played a great ball and I am happy that I was able to get that finish off,” Mueller said. “It was a great goal and I am happy that it helped the team out.”
Both teams showed tremendous heart and persistence. Whether it was Westhill coming back from a three goal deficit, refusing to crumble, or Staples pushing for a winner despite their momentum having withered away, both sides showed their backbone.
“I was pleased with the way we picked ourselves up at the very end,” Shackelford said. “Other teams wouldn’t do that; other teams would take the tie. We didn’t quit though and we got a goal in the last minute.”
With this result, Staples is now 2-2-1, and although they have only won two out of five games played, the team collectively believes they have plenty of talent with the likes of captains Alex Laskin ’23 and Ben Douglas ’23, someone who is included in a 25-man player-to-watch list.
“You saw how good we can be. At 3-0 up we were working well together, passing the ball back and forth. It was crisp,” Shackelford said. “We just need to keep our heads on straight and be there for each other.”
Web Sports Editor Tristan Gonzalez ’24 discovered his interest in journalism through his love for sports. Gonzalez joined Inklings with a desire to cover...
