Published: October 10, 2009 10:08 pm      

Redskins win third straight sectional soccer title

A “hat trick” (three goals) by senior Carl Kay made it three in a row for the Goshen High School boys soccer team.

Kay netted all three goals as the Redskins defeated Bethany Christian, 3-1, in the championship match of the Goshen sectional Saturday night.

It’s the third straight sectional title for the Redskins.

Bethany had a 1-0 lead at halftime.

"We told the kids at halftime they were playing not to lose rather than playing to win," Goshen coach Viratham Mounsithiraj said. "By doing that you are reacting rather than being the aggressor.

"You have to give credit to Bethany. They worked their tails off and we were shell shocked by the amount of pressure they put on us in the first half. We couldn’t do any of the things we wanted to do."

Goshen advances to the regional Wednesday night at Westview.

"Goshen made three really good hustle plays when we didn’t clear the ball out of our 18," Bethany coach Hank Willems said. "Kay made three really great plays. You can’t do things like not clearing the ball against a good team like Goshen and expect to beat them.

"Goshen played with a different level of emotion in the second half. Leading 1-0 at halftime we felt pretty good. We had only allowed 11 goals all season.

"Goshen is a good team and they beat a good team tonight. I felt we could compete with any team in our semistate and I feel Goshen can as well."

Bethany finishes 14-3-2.

Bethany took its halftime lead on a goal by sophomore Femi Hollinger-Janzen at the 2:30 mark.

"In my 17 years of coaching high school soccer that was as good a shot as any taken by one of my players," Willems said. "And as good as the shot was it was even more impressive that he beat two guys to the ball."

Mounsithiraj said, "We told the guys at halftime there was nothing they could do about the goal. Not too many goalies would have stopped that one.

"We told them to just come out in the second half and play their game. We settled down after that and went to the corners. By going to the corners we were able to use our speed, which is our biggest strength.

Kay started his scoring parade with a goal at 36:25 of the second half assisted by his brother sophomore Warren Kay. Carl Kay threw the ball in and followed it the net.

He added his second goal at 25:17 assisted by senior Humberto Romo and the third at 6:57 unassisted.

"We can I say about Carl," Mounsithiraj said. "He never stops working and the guys followed his lead in the second half."

Carl Kay said, "We came out flat to start the game. At halftime we talked about how we had the skills to win this game. In the second half we turned it on.

"Any time you have two teams trying to keep their season going you are in a battle. Both teams wanted this one."

Kay now has 19 goals on the season extending his school record.

He also scored three goals against South Bend St. Joseph’s and South Bend Riley.