For the third time this season, the Myrtle Beach boys soccer team knocked off rival Socastee on Tuesday night by the same 2-1 score.
This time the game-winner came courtesy of a penalty kick by Ryan Arambula following a foul in the 77th minute. The senior calmly booted the ball in the back of the net and the No. 4 Seahawks (14-2-1 overall, 7-0 Region VIII-AAA) held on for another 2-1 win over the No. 5 Braves, whose only region losses have come to Myrtle Beach.
But the third meeting was far from a replay as the Braves jumped out to an early 1-0 advantage on a goal by Connor Baker in the 18th minute. The Seahawks responded early in the second half when Arambula assisted Alex Vasquez for the tying goal in the 55th minute.
The hard-fought battle intensified late with Myrtle Beach goaltender Jose Arrendondo making six saves and Socastee netminder Zach Shamah turning in seven saves. But it all came down to the penalty and Arambula’s ability to slip the shot past Shamah.
Two of the three wins by Myrtle Beach came via PKs. The first meeting of the season on March 6 saw the Seahawks break the 1-all deadlock in sudden death via penalty kicks. In the non-region meeting on April 1 in the finals of the Airport Select Invitational, Myrtle Beach won by the same score in regulation.
The Seahawks return to action Wednesday night against visiting Wexford (Toronto, Calif.) before traveling to region foe St. James on Friday. Socastee hosts North Myrtle Beach on Monday.
Girls
* Myrtle Beach 5, Socastee 1: The Lady Seahawks broke open a tight game in the second half to defeat host Socastee.
Myrtle Beach’s Mackenzie Jones opened the scoring but the Lady Braves answered back to tie it on a goal by Breanna Russell. Mary Beth Hervig found the back of the net off a corner kick to give the Lady Seahawks a 2-1 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Myrtle Beach’s Tori Zeltner launched a top-shelf shot that sailed under the crossbar and over the reach of Socastee goalkeeper Heidi Wagner to make the score 3-1.
Wagner finished the game with eight saves but allowed her fourth goal of the night to Summer Penny. Socastee committed an own-goal to cap the scoring.
Myrtle Beach’s Jessica DeForge had five saves and had her two-game shutout streak snapped. The Lady Seahawks (7-4 overall, 5-2 Region VIII-AAA) travel to St. James to take on the first-place Lady Sharks on Friday.
