Second-half surge sends John Glenn past Tri-Valley
NEW CONCORD — John Glenn expected to receive Tri-Valley's best on Tuesday in the Division II sectional final.
The top-seeded Muskies and 11th seeded Scotties played to a 1-all tie at halftime.
But, an adjustment by coach Will Hess sparked John Glenn in the second half, as junior Will Nicolozakes found the back of the net twice to give his squad a 3-1 win over its Muskingum Valley League rival.
Hess gave credit to Tri-Valley's game plan, but noted his team executed what they needed to in the second half to get back to the district tournament.
The Muskies (15-1-2) face eighth seed St. Clairsville, a 7-0 winner over 14th seed Carrollton, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25 at Cambridge's McFarland Stadium.
"They did a good job controlling the ball and limiting our offensive opportunities in the first half," Hess said. "We needed to make space in the second half. We moved our forwards ahead and our middies to the outside. We did a better job controlling possession and that led to more opportunities."
Both teams took advantage of scoring chances to open the match. John Glenn struck first when Nicolozakes found Ashton Driggs, who hit the ball past Tri-Valley keeper Camden Wickerham for a 1-0 lead at the 38:21 mark of the first half.
The Scotties wasted little time tying the game. Sam Schott dribbled upfield and connected with Yuvi Bastola, who drilled the ball past John Glenn keeper Levi Kinnan into the corner of the net at the 36:41 mark.
Both teams had limited chances in the blustery conditions the rest of the half, while Kinnan and the John Glenn defense prevented a Scottie opportunity late in the first half to keep it tied at the break.
"It seems in soccer that after you score, the other team usually answers within the next five minutes," Hess remarked. "They did, and that seemed to wake us up and settle our nerves. Both teams really seemed to settle in after those early scores."
John Glenn was the aggressor in the second half, controlling possession. It paid off when a free kick outside of the Tri-Valley box set up the go-ahead score. Aydan Thompson's kick sailed over three Tri-Valley defenders and found Nicolozakes, who headed the ball into the net with 28:48 remaining in the match.
Nicolozakes added a key insurance goal about 10 minutes later. He collected a long pass and hit a shot past Wickerham for a 3-1 advantage with 19:31 left.
Hess expected a challenge, which is why his team battled through a tougher schedule this season. He felt an early-season loss to Rosecrans was crucial in keeping the Muskies focused on their way to the Muskingum Valley League and sectional titles.
Now, John Glenn will see if it can reach the district final by facing defending district champion St. Clairsville.
"That loss to Rosecrans was a wake-up call and showed us we weren't impervious to anyone," Hess said. "We knew we would get each team's best shot every time we took the field. The experience of reaching the district tournament last year and this year's schedule has prepared us for games like this. We understand what it's going to take, and we need to play to our strengths."
bhannahs@gannett.com; @brandonhannahs
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Second-half surge sends John Glenn past Tri-Valley
