Quick start helps Panthers top Tigers, secure region championship
Panther midfielder takes the ball down the field. The Mill scored the first two goals of the game within the first two minutes in an offensive-minded game.
April 21, 2018
The varsity boys’ soccer team faced the Fayette County Tigers, their last region opponent, hoping to remain the No. 1 seed in Region 3-AAAAA. The Panthers defeated the Tigers 5-1 in a game that saw the Mill dominate throughout.
Soccer coaches Mike Hanie (left) and Aaron Buck (right) converse about what they see in the game. The Mill ended the season as the No. 1 seed in Region 3-AAAAA after finishing second behind McIntosh last season.
“This season, we learned from our mistakes and have gotten better every game,” head coach Mike Hanie said.
The game started off quickly for the Panthers with freshman midfielder Kenan Godfrey scoring in the second minute, and senior midfielder Kyle Soto scoring less than a minute later. The rest of the half would be mainly on the Panthers’ side with the Mill being on the attack much more in the first half than Fayette County.
In some ways, tempers would flare up a bit as Fayette County was playing very physical with pushing and shoving throughout the game. However, aggressive Tiger play would not translate into offense, mainly due to freshman keeper Andrew Cole, who finished off the first half with four saves before coming out of the game, and being replaced by sophomore Omar Osman.
Starr’s Mill kept the ball on their side of the field throughout the end of the first half, scoring another goal courtesy of senior striker Sam Pompeo. Starr’s Mill took a 3-0 lead into the half.
“Our strategy was to go at them with intensity and purpose, and it showed when we got off to that quick start,” Pompeo said.
Panther midfielder attempts to beat a Fayette County defenseman. The Panthers finished region play with wins against McIntosh and Fayette County, but lost the final game of the regular season against Pace 4-2.
As the second half got underway, Starr’s Mill had another quick start as Pompeo scored again in the third minute. However, Fayette County started to trigger some offense as they were staying on the attack more than the Panthers, but it didn’t translate into scoring for the Tigers until a Tiger striker scored in the 14th minute to put the Tigers on the board.
That goal allowed the tigers to gain some momentum, but that momentum died down after about four minutes, due to the stellar and athletic saves from Osman. The Panthers added one more goal when Pompeo completed the hat trick, securing the 5-1 victory for the home team.
“We still have a lot to work on, but I think we have a good shot at a deep run into the playoffs,” Godfrey said.
Starr’s Mill played their final game of the regular season on April 19 against the Pace Academy Knights, losing 4-2. Starr’s Mill kicks off the AAAAA GHSA state playoffs at home on April 25 against the Woodland-Stockbridge Wolfpack. The game begins at 7 p.m. in Panther Stadium.
