Special to Salina Post
With three injured starters cheering from the bench, Central’s soccer squad could manage only three shots against a strong Goddard squad on Tuesday.
The Lions tested Mustang goalie Grant Sheppard with 23 shots, of which Sheppard saved 11, on their way to a 5-0 shutout on their home pitch.
Less than two minutes into the game, Sheppard was forced out of position by a long Lion pass. A speedy GHS forward collected the long pass and found the empty goal to put the host team up 1-0. Strong ball-handling skills kept Goddard on the attack, and despite Sheppard’s best efforts, the Lions went up 2-0 on a corner kick.
Goddard went into the half leading 3-0 after a 35-yard shot soared over Sheppard and into the net.
The second half saw the Mustangs slowly run out of gas as the Lions continued their offensive pressure. Although the half was more balanced than the previous one, Goddard was able to tally two more goals for the final 5-0 margin.
Central closes out their season with trips to Goddard Eisenhower on Oct. 20 and to Andover on Oct. 22.
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A special thank you to Leonel Alvarado and Danton McDiffett from Salina Central for providing the above story and photos.