George Mason High School senior Olo Sembera Baracco battles for the ball against Strasburg Tuesday. Senior Nico Ferrara scored a hat trick in the Mustangs’ 8-0 win over the Rams. (Photos: Carol Sly)After a tough 3-2 loss to Mount Vernon High School last week, George Mason High School’s varsity boys soccer team responded with two much-needed victories over Warren County High School, 3-0, and Strasburg High School, 8-0.
The Mustangs (4-1) had it going early against Mount Vernon, despite the Majors’ dominant ball control. Five minutes in, senior defender and captain Nico Ferrara booted in Mason’s first goal after a Mustang free kick rattled around the box before finding Ferrara’s foot. Mount Vernon possessed the ball consistently for the remainder of the half but failed to execute in front of the net.
Mason made the opposition pay again when freshman midfielder Cole Hellert connected with sophomore midfielder Nick Wells, who then volleyed a right-to-left cross into senior midfielder Olo Sembera Baracco’s sweet spot. Two touches later, Mason was up 2-0.
Minutes later, senior goalkeeper Walker Hegadorn guessed correctly on a Mount Vernon penalty kick and this save seemingly dealt a critical blow to the Majors’ morale.
But the second half would be prove to be a different game.
“There were a couple of breaks that they got and a couple of breaks that we couldn’t make ourselves and that was the difference,” head coach Frank Spinello said.
The Majors’ possession advantage began to wear on the Mustangs throughout the second half.
A quick strike halved Mason’s lead and put some life back into Mount Vernon. In the 69th minute Hegadorn attempted to snatch an errant Mount Vernon pass, but a Major forward got to it before he could and tied the game up with an open-net goal. Mason then committed a handball in their own box to give Mount Vernon another penalty kick. This time, the Majors didn’t miss.
“I thought we grew up a lot during the match,” Spinello said. “We battled until the end, and that’s the only thing a coach can ask of his players. I’m proud of them.”
A 3-0 win against Warren County got Mason back on track, with the goals coming from unusual sources. Junior forwards Haeju Jeong and Carlos Mercado — both of whom came off the bench — as well as starting defender sophomore Miles Lankford tallied the scores.
The Mustangs’ 8-0 drubbing against Strasburg on Tuesday marked a continuation of the team’s refinement. Sembera Baracco completed a hat trick while Jeong, senior midfielder David Martinez, junior forward Peter Scardino, junior defender Tim Andrianarison and freshman Henry Brorsen each tallied one goal.
Mason hits to the road to face Madison County High School tomorrow, Apr. 6, before spring break.
