On Thursday night the Hopkinsville boys’ soccer team delivered the comprehensive win they had been craving, beating the South Warren Spartans, ranked 18th in the state coaches’ poll, 5-1 at the Stadium of Champions. The Tigers, ranked 14th, now stand at 11-4-1, while the Spartans fall to 7-6-4.
While the Tigers were the aggressor throughout the first half, they found themselves down a goal after Spartan junior forward Anatoli Emina curled in a free kick with 20 minutes until halftime. The Tigers responded with a goal from senior forward Caleb Joiner on an assist from senior Ethan Noel, sending the game to the break tied at 1.
Junior Ryan Roussel struck only a minute into the second half with a perfectly placed shot from the edge of the 18 yard box. A short time later the Tigers doubled their lead when Noel finished off a pass from Roussel. Roussel would get his second goal with 15 minutes left in the match with Joiner assisting, and Noel would finish off the scoring with a converted penalty kick only a minute later. Junior goalkeeper Ethan Bailey was injured in a collision with the Spartans’ Emina, with both players leaving the game and not returning. Sophomore goalkeeper Xavier Bussell stepped in for the Tigers and kept the Spartans off the board for the final 20 minutes.
The Tigers will be back at the Stadium of Champions on Saturday when they welcome the 4-8-2 Greenwood Gators.