BERLIN- After starting the season with two straight wins, Worcester Prep’s boys’ varsity soccer team dropped its first game of the season to always-tough Cape Henlopen on Monday, 2-0.
The Mallards opened the season with a 4-0 rout of Salisbury School and followed that up with a 2-0 win over Bayside North opponent North Caroline last Thursday. In the game against North Caroline, the teams played to a scoreless tie in the first half before Worcester broke through with two goals in the second half.
Worcester’s Vincent Petrera got the Mallards on the scoreboard with a goal from 35 yards out about 18 minutes into the second half. Around eight minutes later, Petrera scored again, this time from about 20 yards out, to extend Worcester’s lead to 2-0.
That was all the scoring Worcester would need as Mallard goalkeeper Cooper Richins continued his scoreless streak to start the season. Richins made 12 saves against North Caroline including a big stop on a direct penalty kick.
On Monday, Worcester traveled to Cape Henlopen for another tough non-conference game and fell 2-0 for the first loss of the season. The score was tied at 0-0 after one half, but Cape broke through with two goals in the second half to secure the win. Cape’s first goal came with about four minutes left in the game to break the 0-0 deadlock and added an insurance goal about with about two minutes left. Richins was once again outstanding in the net with 12 saves, but the Mallards couldn’t break through on offense against Cape.
With the loss to Cape, the Mallards record stands at 2-1. Worcester will face two Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference (ESIAC) rivals at home next week including a game against Gunston on Monday, followed by another game against Salisbury Christian next Wednesday. The Mallards then hit the road for a rematch against Salisbury School next Friday.
