For the second straight season, the East won the N.C. Coaches Association East-West All-Star Boys Soccer Game.

At Grimsley High School on Tuesday evening, the East broke a 1-1 halftime tie and won 3-2. The game-winning goal came from Finn Peters of J.H. Rose in the 45th minute.

The game started with a lot of action. In the third minute, Peters got past the West keeper, Kyle Painter of Watauga, but his shot bounced off the post and away from the net.

That unfortunate bounce for Peters gave the West a chance to score first. Less than minute later, Aaron Zhu of Independence scored an unassisted goal from 14 yards out, putting the West up 1-0.

Lee County’s Irvin Gutierrez tied the game in the 25th minute with an unassisted goal of his own. Gutierrez scored on a bomb to the left side of the goal from 24 yards away. The two teams were tied at 1-1 at halftime.

The East seized momentum in the second half though. Patrick Dion of Apex Friendship connected with Chapel Hill’s Adam Trusky in the 43rd minute to give the East its first lead of the game. Then in the 45th minute, Trusky recorded an assist on a Peters goal off a quick counter.

Trusky was named the most valuable player of the all-star game.

Zhu managed to score his second goal of the game for the West in the 71st minute of a penalty kick after Justin Ortiz of Hickory was taken down inside the box. The East, along with keeper Padraig Eagan of Cardinal Gibbons, was able to hold off the West for the final nine minutes.

In the game, the East totaled 15 shots, including nine shots on goal. Eagan recorded three saves. The West was credited with 15 shots and five shots on goal. West keeper Kyle Painter of Watauga had six saves on the night.

The East now leads the series against the West with a record of 16-11-5. The East has won two straight games after a 2-1 win last season. The teams tied 3-3 in 2022. The last time the West won the game was in 2019 when it claimed a 1-0 victory.

Scoring Summary

1st Half:

• 4th minute: Aaron Zhu (Independence) scores unassisted — 1-0, West
• 25th minute: Irvin Gutierrez (Lee County) scores unassisted — 1-1, tie

2nd Half:

• 43rd minute: Adam Trusky (Chapel Hill) scores off assist from Patrick Dion (Apex Friendship) — 2-1, East
• 45th minute: Finn Peters (J.H. Rose) scores off assist from Adam Trusky (Chapel Hill) — 3-1, East
• 71st minute: Aaron Zhu (Independence) scores on penalty kick — 3-2, East

Final:

• East 3, West 2

Source: highschoolot.com