CULLMAN – In a make-up game from the rain-out earlier in the week, Cullman welcomed the Pelham Panthers to Oliver Woodard Stadium as they started their defense of their 6A State soccer title.
It was slow going for the Bearcats in the first half. Pelham spent the majority of the first 40 minutes of action on the Cullman half of the field. In the first 15 minutes, the Panthers took five shots on goal, narrowly missing the net. However, the Cullman back line held strong and was able to provide support to their keeper between the pipes. It looked as if the Cats would get out of the half unscathed but Pelham had different plans. With 11:30 left to play in the first, Edwuin Patricio Sostenes got loose on a crossover and blasted a shot from 6 yards out that found the near corner and settled in the back of the net to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead that they held as the game headed to the half.
Being kept off the board in the first half didn’t sit well with the Cats, and they went to work in the second. Less than five minutes in, Cullman took advantage a free kick as Isaac Rodriguez served the ball into the middle where it found the foot of Jose Radilla, who buried the shot in the back of the net to knot the game at 1-1.
Pelham wasted no time taking the lead back; just two minutes later, Irvin Benitez scored on a free kick. Rodriguez quickly tied the game again for the Cats as nailed a shot to make the score 2-2 with 31:47 left to play. The Panthers took the lead back with 8:57 left to play when William Hillard scored on a header via a corner kick from Braxton Jeffcoat.
With 3:16 left to play and down by one, Miguel Tazapa was awarded a penalty kick when Gregory Blue was carded for a tackle from behind in the keeper’s box. Tazapa got the keeper leaning right and buried the shot in the left corner to tie the game at three each and that is where the score remained for the rest of the match as Cullman and Pelham played to a 3-3 tie.
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