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Sports

Howell Central Soccer Remains Unbeaten In League Play With 2-0 Win Against Wentzville Holt

Seniors Ryan Miller and Tyler Keane both net goals, as Spartans improve to 9-2-3 this season.

After playing a week’s worth of tournament games at the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park down in Fenton, the Francis Howell Central boys soccer team finally got back to the cozy comforts of Don Muench Memorial Stadium on Tuesday night, with a critical GAC South league game against rival Wentzville Holt.

And the Spartans certainly looked happy to be home, piecing together a magnificent performance against the visiting Indians, that resulted in a convincing 2-0 Howell Central win.

“Yeah, we looked pretty good,” Howell Central head coach Derek Phillips said. “Obviously, the goal in the first half helped. We had good possession. All in all though, it was a pretty good game.”

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The Spartans were especially good defensively, limiting Holt to few scoring chances, and allowing just five shots on goal the entire game.

Senior goalkeeper Kevin Dougherty picked up his fifth shutout of the season, as Howell Central improved its record to 9-2-3.

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The Spartans got on the board early Tuesday, when leading scorer Brett Hodges (10 goals, four assists this season) set up teammate Ryan Miller for a scoring chance with a terrific through ball from the right side of the Holt box.  

Miller, who seemingly came from nowhere, slid into the pass and was just able to deflect a shot inside the far post for his first goal of the season.

In the second half, Howell Central’s hard-charging Tyler Keane had a step on Holt’s Curtis Wilder and was making a run at the Indian goal, when Wilder had no choice but to take him down to prevent a scoring chance.

That play resulted in a foul call inside the box, which led to Keane being awarded a penalty kick, which the 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior buried past Holt’s Sean Schierbecker, for his third goal of the season, and what proved to be an insurmountable 2-0 Howell Central lead.

“We’re a little bit beat up, and we’re playing two guys short, but these guys are still playing hard,” Phillips said. “Our guys take pride in their play, especially on defense. We were going hard after that shutout. This was a conference game and that makes it extra important, and so are the shutouts. So we’re happy with what we got here tonight.”

Holt fell to 1-10 on the year, and suffered its seventh straight loss on Tuesday.

The Indians will be back in action though on Thursday evening, with a home game against district rival Timberland at 4 p.m.

Howell Central will be back on the pitch Wednesday, with a 6 p.m. non-conference game at Parkway South, which is 6-6 this season, after suffering its third straight loss Tuesday night at home against Mehlville.

After Wednesday’s contest, the Spartans will get the rest of the week off, before returning to Muench Stadium for another non-conference game at 6 p.m., on Monday, Oct. 3, against Parkway West.

Scoring Summary

 

Score by Quarters

F

Wentzville Holt

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

Francis Howell Central

1

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

First Half

FHC: Ryan Miller (1), assisted by Brett Hodges;   13’

Second Half

FHC: Tyler Keane (3), penalty kick;   51’

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