RALEIGH, N.C. — The key to the best start in school history for Wakefield’s boys soccer team, ironically, was finishing.

On Wednesday night, the No. 25 Wolverines had dominated possession and had better scoring chances than visiting No. 5 Heritage, yet it was the Huskies who had scored first and the two sides were deadlocked for almost 60 minutes without a second goal by either.

Then, with less than five minutes remaining in the second half of overtime, Wakefield found the net twice. It polished off a 3-1 win over their Northern Athletic (4A) Conference foes and moved the team to a whopping 12-1 mark to start this season.

“The best part about this group is that we are all friends and teammates first,” coach Tony Calabria said. “They’re all so supportive of each other.”

Wakefield (12-1, 2-0) took it to Heritage (10-2-1, 1-1) in the first half — Calabria called it the best half his team had played all year — but the score was only 1-1.

Heritage scored in the 35th minute as an initial shot by Cole Capps settled in front of Ryan Palmateer, who slotted in the game’s first goal. But in the 38th minute, a long ball from defender Alexander Jones met the run of striker Ibra Ndiaye perfectly, and Ndiaye lofted it over the oncoming keeper’s head and into the net.

Ndiaye, who now has 15 goals in 13 matches, was a second-team all-state player last year and named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Mid-Atlantic team.

The teams played the entire second half and the first half of overtime without a goal, as well as the first five minutes of the second half of overtime.

But with fresh legs, thanks to mass subs in the OT period, Wakefield struck twice in the final four minutes.

The first came in the 96th minute as Eduardo Vazquez-Aldama rushed into the box to hammer home a rebound, after Ndiaye took the initial shot, for a 2-1 lead.

In the 97th minute, a long free kick by Heritage was volleyed across midfield by Zayd Dahir, which set up Klein Pulley at about midfield with only the keeper to beat. He did, and then he front-flipped in celebration, and the Wolverines have the record-setting start they wanted.

Heritage’s only other loss this season came to No. 2 Green Hope. It also owns a tie with Apex Friendship.

Wakefield’s only loss came to No. 24 Broughton.

Source: highschoolot.com