in the field on “Senior Night” Friday against Pulaski County. Photo by Brian Hoffman.
The Salem boys’ soccer team will get another crack at Blacksburg Friday night after losing to the Bruins twice during the regular season, both by 1-0 scores. Salem has never beaten the perennial state contending Bruins. Coach David Atkins is hoping Friday will break the string as the Spartans and Bruins play for the River Ridge District championship. Game time is 6 pm at a neutral site, Christiansburg High School.
Salem comes into the game with a 12-2-2 record and the only losses have been the 1-0 heartbreakers to Blacksburg. The Salem defense has nine shutouts and the two ties were against Class 5 district rival Patrick Henry, and Salem needed both to finish second in the RRD and earn the right to play in this Friday’s game. Last Friday the Spartans played their final home game of the regular season and took a 9-0 win over visiting Pulaski County. Atkins started all the seniors and Jay Johnson, the backup keeper to senior Max Benne, opened the scoring off a header from a corner kick. Logan Lavinder had three goals and two assists, Anthony Rugama, Elijah Clark and Jett Lakin each had a goal and an assist and Graham Cross and Cole Pruett both had one goal.
Graham Fischer had two assists and Joseph Serrano also had an assist. Benne and Johnson combined for the shutout as Salem finished 8-2-2 in River Ridge play. On Monday Salem finished the regular season with a trip to Rockbridge and it was another shutout, 5-0 over the Wildcats. Elijah Clark had two goals and an assist, Anthony Rugama had a goal and an assist, Lucas Yerton and Graham Fischer each had a goal, Lavinder had two assists and TJ Fisher had an assist. Lavinder finished the regular season with 21 goals and 11 assists and broke Graham Fischer’s single season goal scoring record, set last year at 20 goals. “It was one of the most successful regular season in my memory,” said Atkins.
Now the Spartans turn their attention to the postseason. After Friday’s district championship game they’ll start Region 4D play on Wednesday, May 22nd. Semifinals are the 24th and the region championship is May 28th, and don’t look now but Blacksburg is in the four team South Region and on a collision course for a possible fourth meeting.