Wolfpack U-18 posts another shutout

The Wolfpack boys Under-18 soccer team all but etched its name in

Sunday’s division final at the Snickers US Youth Soccer National

Championship by blanking Charlotte SC Blue of North Carolina, 3-0,

Friday, at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex.

The victory was the second shutout for Wolfpack, now 2-0 in the

tournament. On Tuesday, they also won by a 3-0 score, the opening win

coming over FC Delco Black of West Chester, Pa.

Heading into today’s game with Scott Gallagher of St. Louis, Wolfpack

leads the division with six points and a plus-six goal differential,

which all but assures the Huntington Beach-based team a spot in Sunday’s

division final.

Against Charlotte, Wolfpack staked its way to a 2-0 halftime lead

behind the play of Dan Collins and Drew McAthy.

Collins, an All-CIF performer at Edison High, scored in the 24th

minute by volleying in an eight-yard shot from a McAthy pass. Just before

halftime, McAthy, an all-county player from Huntington Beach High, ran

down Pat Parker’s pass near the endline, then slipped the ball to

Collins, who scored on a low shot from five yards out.

Devin Kato, also an All-CIF player out of Edison, scored in the 83rd

minute to up Wolfpack’s lead to 3-0, and goalkeeper Joe Balbas (Edison)

needed to make just one save to preserve the shutout.

Despite gaining the inside track to Sunday’s final, Wolfpack Coach

Glen Strachen still feels his team has something to prove today.

“We still have something to play for Friday,” he said. “We need to

continue to play well.”

Scott Gallagher of St. Louis will enter today’s match on a winning

note, having beaten FC Delco Black (Wolfpack’s first round opponent),

4-2, Thursday.

Wolfpack’s 16-player roster also includes Devon Kato (Edison), John

Clark (Fountain Valley), Cliff McKinley (Fountain Valley), Jeff Kunze

(Edison), Nick Schwab (Huntington Beach), Chris Wimmer (Fountain Valley),

Josh Finestone (Edison), Ian Buchanan (Fountain Valley), AJ Hernandez (El

Dorado), Matt Upton (Long Beach Millikan), and Eddie Pinto Gonzales

(North Torrance).