After three weeks of pre-season training, St. Albans Soccer opened their season with a convincing 3-0 win over perennial WCAC and DCSAA power St. John’s at Steuart Field Tuesday. The 2024 Bulldog lineup features many new faces as the team replaces 11 players from the 2023 squad that captured IAC regular season, IAC tournament and DCSAA tournament championships (known as a “treble”), but the game had a familiar look. St. Albans set a fast pace early, patiently worked their ball possession game, and pressured the Cadets’ defense with aggressive runs to the goal. Senior Chris Bates opened the scoring at the 13-minute mark with a finish at the goal off a left-footed cross from senior Thomas Bean. Bean won a 50/50 ball off a St. John’s clearing attempt on the left wing about 30 yards from the goal. Upon gaining possession, Bean split two defenders and separated from a third Cadet before threading a perfect pass to Bates, who sped past his defender and steered the ball past the keeper.

 

Six minutes later Patrick Brady hunted down a St. John’s defender trying to clear from the 35-yard mark. Brady stole the ball, made a dazzling move on another defender, and struck a perfect ball from just outside the penalty area to extend the STA lead to 2-0. Senior Xavier Wigglesworth sealed the win at the 75-minute mark finishing a play that featured a string of nine touches from end line to end line. Bean started the play by winning a ball in the defensive half and clearing it to junior keeper William Eastright, who made a short clear to the center back. The backs and mid-fielders worked the ball up the right sideline where Brady eventually found space at the half-field line. He sent a high arcing ball cross-field that Wigglesworth corralled along the left wing 20 yards out from the goal. Wigglesworth outraced three St. John’s defenders to the crease and slid the ball to the far side of the net.

 

The Bulldogs are 1-0 on the season and host Maret next this Friday at 4:30pm on Steuart Field.