On Thursday, the boys varsity soccer team faced off against Cibola in the second game of the APS Metro Tournament.

TV cameras recorded interviews with the coaches before the game as Academy’s preseason publicity had garnered some attention. Charles Touche ’17 took it as an opportunity to put an early stamp on the game. In the first few minutes he ran past the defense and chipped the keeper, only to see a Cibola defender clear the ball from the empty net. In the ninth minute, a Cibola defender passed back to the keeper, who got tripped up on the ball. Charles neatly stripped him of the ball, thanked him, and passed into the back of the net. Four minutes later Charles found himself with the ball and some space and slotted the ball into the back of the net. Two minutes after that, he did it again, this time after Mateo Centenera ’20 directed a loose ball to him. Charles had scored a hat trick in the first 15 minutes.

Although the goals had come, the Academy had struggled to string together passes and play with the precision and possession that is their signature style. Twice Cibola slammed shots off of the crossbar and, in truth, the Academy was lucky to go into the half with a 3-0 lead.

Academy started the second half, determined to play a better brand of ball. The start was uneven and Coach Kolek changed the formation from a 4-4-2, to a 4-3-3. Jackson Taylor ’19 slid into the center with Alex Touche ’17 and Hardy Stone ’18 and helped stabilize the midfield.

Seven minutes into the half, Nick Williams ’18 burst out of the defense on a counterattack, passed to the wing and demanded the ball back through the middle. He played the ball on to a wide open Owen Keleher ’18 who finished an easy shot on net.

As the game wound down, play became a bit chippy. Charles was hit from behind and there was no foul called. Lucas Jepsen ’19 kept playing. He ran on to the ball and played toward net. Two Cibola defenders crashed into him, and then the Cibola keeper, but Lucas never stopped, bouncing off all of them and eventually finding himself alone in front of the net. He passed it in for the final tally of the game. Academy 5- Cibola 0.

Lucas Schlenzig ’18 (first half) and Chris Pullen ’18 (second half) combined for the shut out.

The Academy plays Eldorado next on Saturday at 11:00 in the final game of the APS Metro round robin at the APS Complex.