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Maroon Devil Landon Matz had three goals and multiple assists at last week’s game against Murphy, where Swain won 9-4.
Hannah Styles
hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com
Swain boys soccer hosted the Murphy Bulldogs on Wednesday in a Smoky Mountain Conference matchup. In their previous meeting this season the Devils took the 4-1 win.
The Devils scored first when sophomore Clayton Shuler passed the ball ahead to senior Landon Matz who took a few dribbles and scored the goal. Just 10 minutes later the Bulldogs added a goal of their own tying the game up at 1-1.
Five minutes later Shuler got a ball off a rebound from a Devils shot and placed the ball in the back of the net putting the Devils up 2-1.
With 19 minutes left in the half Matz found senior Matthew Gray making an overlapping run down the sideline and Gray took some dribbles past some defenders and scored his first goal of the game. The half ended with the Devils up 3-1.
Eight minutes into the second half the Devils scored again when senior Spencer Rowland found Gray. Four minutes later the Bulldogs added their second goal off a corner kick. Seven minutes later the Devils scored an own goal for the Bulldogs as the Devils tried to clear the ball out. It brought the score to 4-3. Thirty seconds later the Devils got back to scoring as sophomore James Sanchez found Gray for another goal. One minute later Matz found Gray for another goal.
Ten minutes later, Matz found Gray once again for Gray’s 5th goal. With 11 minutes left in the half the Bulldogs added another goal. Two minutes later senior goalkeeper Cameron Phillips found Matz for a goal. Matz added one more three minutes later. The game finished with the Devils winning 9-4.
“We were happy to come away with a win,” Head Coach Scott Cline said. “We allowed too many goals and have some things to work on there.”
On the defensive side, senior Canon Helpman led the way with 23 clears/steals. He was followed by sophomore Max Wilmot with 13, senior Spencer Rowland with 11, and sophomore McClane Whorton with 5. In goal, senior Cameron Phillips recorded 24 goalkeeper saves.
The Player of the Game for the Devils was Helpman.
“Canon had a lot of pressure on him in that back line. He played some really good defense and helped keep us in the game.” Cline said.
The Maroon Devils move to 8-1 in conference play.
The Devils traveled to Andrews on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. matchup.