Role reversal for Eden soccer
With a 1-0 victory over the Governor Simcoe Redcoats Wednesday, the Eden Flyers varsity boys soccer team is in uncharted territory.
The victory pushed the Flyers’ record to a perfect 3-0 in Niagara Region High School Athletic Association Zone 4 league action.
“This is the best start that we have ever had since I’ve been here,” said Eden’s Ethan Maroudas, who scored the only goal in the game. “Most of our starts have been 0-3.”
The Grade 11 student obviously prefers a perfect 3-0 over a winless 0-3.
“It feels really good because I am so used to being the team that comes out with nothing to lose and this year it’s nice to be at the top.”
Maroudas feels familiarity has been a key to Eden’s success.
“We have been the same team for about three years now,” he said. “When I first came here, the majority of players were in Grade 9 and 10 and we lost a lot. We have really started to jell and develop our chemistry.
“I think we are a lot more confident now.”
Eden head coach Adrian Fulcher points to another factor for the team’s success.
“We have some good poise in the front and they are showing some finish this year,” he said. “The only thing they need to work on is a little more finish in the early part of the game which you could sort of see again today.
“It has been our story. We finish well but we don’t finish well in the first half.”
Maroudas is relied on by Fulcher.
“I have two leaders, one up front and one back, and he’s the lead that directs the play up front,” he said. “It’s really effective to have one command the front and one command the back.”
Maroudas has the attributes required to fill the role.
“He has presence and communication,” Fulcher said. “He knows how to get his teammates to listen and follow.”
It’s a role Maroudas is comfortable in.
“I try to help out everyone as much as I can and I try to be as vocal as I can on the field to minimize confusion and open up the field,” said the member of Eden’s volleyball team that won provincial gold last fall. “I have been playing that role for a long time.”
The Grimsby Meteors travel soccer player was happy to pitch in with the winning goal Wednesday.
“It was a good feeling because it was a pretty gritty game and there was not much happening,” he said. “I got that one opportunity and it felt great to put it away.”
Simcoe fell to 1-0-1 on the season with the loss.
“They (Simcoe) played well in the second half,” Simcoe coach Brian MacDonald said. “In the first half, I think the wind for both teams was really tough and either team could have won.
“They had a little bit better balance and they won.”
Simcoe goalie Danny Lewis made some big saves in the first half to give his team a chance to win.
“The confidence of having someone like him back there lets everyone else play a little more freer,” MacDonald said.
STATS PACK
Flyers 1 Redcoats 0
Mick and Angelo’s/Johnny Rocco’s Players of the Game: Eden’s Ethan Maroudas with the game-winning goal and Simcoe’s Danny Lewis with some big first-half saves in goal.
For the Eden Flyers: Maroudas, goal; shutout by Travis Chorney
For the Governor Simcoe Redcoats: No scoring.
