Cooper Chevrolet Game of the Week: Oxford shuts out Jacksonville

Oxford’s Kellen Roberts, left, and Jacksonville’s Clark Sides battle for the ball during a match on May 6. The Oxford Jackets shut out the Eagles 4-0. Photo: Kevin Qualls/The Anniston Star

The Oxford Jackets shut out the Jacksonville Eagles 4-0 May 6 in a defensive struggle at the McClellan soccer fields.

The Eagles made the first kick-off and immediately began to put pressure on Oxford goalie Christian Patoja and the Jackets defense.

Christian Vital of the Eagles got close several times during the game, but was unable to score.

Nick Freestone and Kellam Roberts worked well together during the first part of the game, making several shots on goal only to have several either go wide or be saved by Eagle goalie Nick Norris.

“They’ve come together as a team,” said Nick’s mom, Cynthia Freestone, of the Jackets. “There’s no one star. Everybody passes to everybody.”

Finally, several minutes into the first half, Freestone managed to slip one past Norris for the first score of the game.

Jacksonville kicked off again and moments later Taylor Bellin passed the ball to Vital, setting up another Eagle shot on goal. The kick veered into the side of the net, then bounced out of bounds.

Bellin dribbled back the goal kick for a solo shot on goal caught by Patoja.

Shortly after a scoring attempt by Eagle Jose Martinez, which just missed the goal on its way out of bounds, Oxford forward Freestone scored his second goal.

The remainder of the first half continued to be a defensive struggle as the teams exchanged possession of the ball and scoring attempts with neither making it into the goal. At the end of the first half, the Jackets were up 2-0.

In the second half, Christian Pantoja came out of the Oxford goal to play forward and immediately began to pressure the Eagle defense.

The Eagles fought back, once again trading possession and shots, but, like the first half, they were outgunned by the Jackets’ offense.

A few minutes into the second half, Pantoja got possession of the ball for the Jackets, dribbling down field and passing it off to Gustavo Lopez, who sent it soaring past the Eagle goalie.

Freestone finished off the offensive portion of the game a little while later when he scored his third goal of the game.

Saturday’s game was the second, and final, meeting for the two teams. The Jackets, undefeated this season, won the first matchup 3-0.

Though his team has suffered two shut-outs at the hands of Guadalupe Lopez’s Oxford team, Eagles coach Cody Robinson sees definite improvement in his team over this season and hopes to be victorious in the last two games of the season.

“They played on of the best games they’ve played all season,” he said. “They’ve really come together over the season. We’re working better as a team.”