Salem Select’s U12 (2014) boys team played two matches over the weekend, splitting the results with one win and one loss. The group now sits at 5-3-2 on the season.
In their first match, Salem came away with a 3-0 shutout victory. The scoring opened with a perfectly placed corner kick from Ethan Petrillo, which was finished off by Calen Veit-Tackitt. Salem kept the momentum going when Jason Berry set up Brady Carroll for the team’s second goal. Veit-Tackitt capped off the scoring with his second goal of the match to make it 3-0. Jonah Findley and Petrillo split time in goal and combined for the clean sheet.
The second match was a tight battle that came down to the final moments, ending in a heartbreaking 3-2 loss. Salem goals were scored by Carroll and Veit-Tackitt, while the defensive group of Coen Dash, Gavin Purcell, and Paxton Stanford played strong throughout the match and helped keep the ball in the opponent’s half for much of the game.
Salem Select will close out the spring season with two more matches on May 17, with hopes of finishing with a winning record.
Looking ahead, the team will be moving up to U13 11v11 soccer this fall. With the SLYSA birth year changes, the roster will be open to players born August 1, 2013 and younger. The team currently features players from the Franklin Park, Iuka, Selmaville, and South Central school districts and is excited to welcome new athletes who want to compete at a higher level.
The team will host kick arounds during the first week of June as they begin expanding the roster.
