In the first game of the 2008 soccer season, it looked as if the St. Thomas men's soccer team had not missed a step from the success they enjoyed to end their 2007 campaign. After wrapping up last season with a 3-2 record, the Bobcats began the season with a thrilling and hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Warner Southern Royals.
The one and only score of the game came in the third minute when Luis Campo scored off a ball from the foot of Juan Sanchez. Although the game started quickly and the St. Thomas offense looked aggressive in the early going, Warner Southern was able to exert their offensive tempo near the end of the first half and well into the second. The final fifteen minutes of the game featured multiple yellow cards handed to each side and one red given to STU's Leo Castillo on a controversial tackle. In all, each side received three yellow cards in addition to the St. Thomas ejection, with five of the bookings coming within the final minutes of the game.
Although it looked as if the Royals were going to break through late in the game, the STU defense led by goalkeeper Aaron Jones held strong. Warner Southern compiled 16 shots, as well as 9 corner kicks, and although they had ample opportunity to score, the feisty Bobcats did not allow any balls in the back of their net. Jones totaled 14 saves, including two diving aerial stops on free kicks in the last ten minutes, and also received superb support from his back line who accounted for multiple team blocks when they needed it most to close the game.
The game was well played with only three off-sides for each team, but the physical play, with 35 total fouls ground the game to a halt in the final minutes. On a humid and rainy day, the lack of offseason conditioning played a factor as well, with three Bobcats and two Royals leaving the game with cramps.
The Bobcats now turn their focus to Tuesday's match with the Savannah College of Art & Design, a team who the Bobcats beat 1-0 at the end of last season when SCAD was ranked #21st. The solid play from the newcomers and consistent production from the returning junior core suggests a bright season ahead for Felix Mats' squad.
