WENDELL — Anytime a club puts together a significant winning streak, there can often be added pressure each and every time that team steps onto the field to further its winning ways.
Apparently the Corinth Holders soccer team has not received that message.
Led by Brock Waynik’s hat trick, the unwavering Pirates cruised to their eighth straight victory in downing Northern Carolina 2A Conference rival North Johnston 7-0 at home Tuesday night.
Corinth Holders (11-3, 7-0) put two goals up on the board in the game’s first 10 minutes and never looked back.
“We put the ball in the net early and that allowed us to settle down a little bit,” said Corinth Holders coach Brent Walston.
Waynik tallied his first goal just seven minutes into the contest after Pedro Segundo sent a ball down the sideline to Nick Burton who found Waynik all alone in front of the goal for the easy finish.
Two minutes later, Burton stole the ball from a North Johnston defender and put the Pirates up 2-0 with a low shot to the far post that beat Panthers goalie Chadwick Little.
North Johnston coach Mark Ketterer, whose team was out shot 17-4 on the night, sees the problem as being an identity crisis for his team.
“First thing when I got here, everyone said, ‘that team’s scrappy,’ but somehow they lost it somewhere along the line,” the second-year coach remarked. “We’re getting pushed off the ball. It happens so much out here and they’re not scrapping for anything.
“Sometimes skill isn’t all you need. If you’re gonna put in the work, that’s going to get it done for us.”
The Panthers’ best scoring chance of the night came on a Diego Oliveros shot from 25 yards out that just missed the far post with five minutes remaining in the first half.
The Pirates posted their fourth shutout of the year with Chason Karst and Christian Green combining on the effort in goal.
Waynik, the Pirates leading goal scorer, finished off his three-goal performance thanks to assists from Nick Lyons and Melecio Rubio-Villagran.
Burton finished the game with a pair of goals and an assist.
“We have good chemistry,” Waynik said of the Pirates’ forward line of himself, Burton and Villagran. “We’ve been together for about three years now and right now we’re all seniors so we’re really going it for it this year.
“Put out full effort every night and just keep winning—that’s all we’re gonna try to do.”
The Pirates last loss to Smithfield-Selma on August 29th and have outscored their conference opponents 39-4 in seven games.
Hayden Lane and Jamie Schap rounded out the scoring for the Pirates.
Caleb Byrd posted four saves for the Panthers (4-13-1, 1-6-1) in net.
