It was an early season clash on Saturday night between two of the area’s top Division One boys’ soccer teams, as Troy tried to remain unbeaten on the year hosting Tecumseh in a non-conference contest. The Trojans scored twice in the first half, and their defense stood up throughout the game, defeating the Arrows 3-0.
“During the first 15 minutes, we moved the ball around and used both ends of the field, we were playing quick,” said Troy coach Richard Phillips. “Things chances at the end of the half, and we didn’t do those things.”
“We got the win, but we still need to be more aware off our possession game.”
Tecumseh coach Jason Runner knew the first couple of weeks would be tough with a young team, and a very difficult schedule.
“We are young and inexperienced, and played back on our heels a lot,” Runner said. :I thought we played well for the first 25 minutes, but we couldn’t get our combinations together, and we committed some bad fouls.”
Troy got on the board 19 minutes into the game when Jake Diffenderfer scored from 18 yards out giving the Trojans a 1-0 lead.
“He hit the ball into the upper corner,” Phillips said. Troy held that lead until the 11 minute mark of the first half, when Max Sherman chased after a back pass to the keeper that Tecumseh keeper Ridge O’Daniel tried to clear out of the goal, and put the ball into the net to give the Trojans a 2-0 lead.
While the Arrows offense could not get on track against the stubborn Troy defense, the Trojans capped off the scoring in the second half, when Diffenderfer took a pass from an indirect kick from J.T. Yenney and slid the ball past O’Daniel with seven minutes left in the game, pushing the Trojans lead to 3-0.
“We tried to make adjustments again, and make is a possession game and play quicker,” Phillps said. “We needed to find the open players and that deteriorated. We had numerous scoring opportunities. We were more in the attacking third last night, we still needed to be more organized in the back.”
Diffenderfer scored his first two goals of the season, and Phillips was impressed how the senior played.
“He did a nice job in the middle of the field,” Phillips said. “He created opportunities and made some for himself. He did a nice job.”
Meanwhile, the Arrows have another tough week ahead, as they battle Butler on Saturday after playing Ben Logan tonight.
“We are still trying to work people together with a tough early schedule,” Runner said. “They are playing with a good work ethic, they just need to fill the puzzle and we will be ok.”
