by Tim Smith
The Cedarville Yellow Jackets earned their first notch in the win column on Saturday night, defeating the California (PA) Vulcans 4-0. After a disappointing start against Slippery Rock on Thursday, the Cedarville men looked like a different team against the Vulcans. Their passes were on target, their defense was formidable, and their offense was unstoppable.
The first half of play was defined by the Yellow Jackets’ constant possession of the ball. Working the whole field, the Jackets first goal came off of a strike from 18 yards outside the box by Gui Fernandes. The scoring onslaught would not stop there, though. Cedarville kept the ball in their attacking third and were able to find the netting again in the 34th minute thanks to Pedro Alvares.
Continuing the attack, Cedarville struck gold once more in the first half, with a 25-yard dagger from freshman Jackson Ellison.
“I thought our offense looked great tonight,” said Ellison. “We kept the ball moving all across the field and kept them on their heels. Then we cashed in on four goals.”
Coming out of halftime, Cal sought to atop the bleeding, but their efforts proved futile. The Yellow Jackets scored once more in the match, compliments of Andre Salviano in the 64th minute.
The second half highlighted the mighty defense of the Cedarville men that reigned supreme throughout the entire match – the Vulcans were only able to amass two shots on goal through the 90 minutes of action.
“Our defense was amazing tonight as well,” Ellison said. “We shut down their offensive attack and controlled the ball very well. We had a solid wall back there.”
Coach Faro was proud of the Jackets and their efforts on Saturday night.
“We played a complete game,” said Faro. “Coming out of Thursday we were disappointed in some areas, but we acknowledged them and fixed it. Tonight, we played a strong and complete game both offensively and defensively and it resulted in a win. I’m really proud of these boys.”
The Yellow Jackets (1-0-1) play again on Saturday against Ashland at 7 p.m. Last season, Cedarville traveled to Ashland and lost 1-0.
Tim Smith is a sophomre biblical studies major and staff writer for Cedars. He loves football, 3 Muskateers Candy, and primarily speaking in movie quotes.
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