COLLEGE SOCCER: King struggles in conference openers

Limestone welcomed King College into its new NCAA Division II conference with a cordial kick to the teeth.

The debut of the King men’s soccer team in Conference Carolinas was a rough one Saturday afternoon at Parks Field as the Saints – picked to finish first in the league – overwhelmed the Tornado with a 4-1 victory.

King (0-2-1, 0-1-0) scored its first goal of the season just six minutes into the match when Zack Caracciolo, off assists from Joe Mayer and Sam Nicol, bounced a shot off the Limestone goalkeeper into the upper left side of the net, giving the Tornado a lead it would hold for the remainder of the half.

The second half, however, was a much different story as the Saints (2-2-0, 1-0-0) scored four times in the first 25 minutes after intermission – and had another goal called back when a direct shot was illegally taken on an indirect free kick.

“I think they just felt the momentum shifting,” said King coach Louis Thorpe.

Limestone’s goals came from a pair of freshmen as Tom McCready evened the match with a rip up the middle and then put the Saints ahead with a penalty kick after King’s Zachary Clark picked up a yellow card with a takedown in the box.

Freshman Jorge Mackenna then added two goals of his own – one on a sensational header off a corner kick by Calvin Bond.

“You always love when the freshmen are scoring,” said Limestone coach Eric Alsop, in his ninth season at the school.

While King was making its initial foray into Conference Carolinas competition after playing as an independent last season during its first year as a full NCAA Division II member, Limestone finished the past two seasons as runner-up in the final regular-season CC standings.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” Alsop said about taking on the Tornado. “It was my first experience ever playing King. … The team I thought was hard-working, well organized, really gave us fits in the first half. I give them the better play in the first half. It’s a good addition to the league.”

Despite the disheartening second half, Thorpe, too, wasn’t completely down on his team.

“Today [the Saints] were the best team,” Thorpe said. “Now are they better than my team? I don’t think so.”

Although King broke through for their first goal of the season after two scoreless outings to start the year, the Tornado still struggled to produce much offense, recording only four shots on goal to Limestone’s 14.

Last year, King was on the losing end of eight 1-0 decisions, but Thorpe said he’s not worried – yet – about the Tornado’s lack of goal production.

“It’s too early in the season for me to determine that,” he said. “I think we’re creating chances, but we’re not finishing the chances. I think with time that’s going to come.”

Alsop also had mixed feelings about his team, praising their second-half effort, but questioning why it took the Saints 45 minutes to show up.

“Potential is always a tricky word,” he said. “For our part with the early season rankings, sometimes you get a little too confident. … You shouldn’t have to wait until halftime to sort out your mistakes. But if we can grow up pretty quick? Yeah, I think we have a good shot at the league.”

King’s first Conference Carolinas slate doesn’t get any easier as the Tornado will next take on defending league champion Lees-McRae on Wednesday.

“You have to come out every day and fight,” Thorpe said.

WOMEN

Limestone 5, King 0

If the Limestone men delivered King a brutal blow, their female counterparts greeted the Tornado with a heavyweight haymaker.

Ashley Alderin-Fleagle got the Saints (2-2-0, 1-0-0) rolling with a pair of first-half goals and notched her first career hat trick with another tally in the second half.

King (1-2-0, 0-1-0) actually had two golden chances to draw first blood in the opening 25 minutes – including a strike by Virginia High graduate Hannah Shankel that ricocheted off the left post – but as the afternoon wore on the Saints seized control.

“We didn’t cause them enough problems up front and they caused us nothing but problems all day long,” said first-year King coach Simon Duffy.

Limestone outshot King 23-16 on the day – and had a 12-4 advantage in shots on goal – as the Tornado defense proved more porous than a freshly aerated lawn.

“It was just silly little mistakes on our part, trying to come in and win a ball when all you can do is just contain it,” Duffy said. “It’s kind of like you’re chomping at the bit to win the ball back and they’re pulling us here, there and everywhere. There were just too many gaps in behind.”

In addition to Alderin-Fleagle’s three scores, Dominique Evans and Gabriella Reid also found the back of the net for Limestone.

While Duffy was far from pleased with Saturday’s result, he said the disappointing initiation into Conference Carolinas play still goes in the book as just one loss.

“I’m hopeful we can use this as a kick up the rear end or whatever you want to call it,” he said. “We’ve got 11 conference games to go so hopefully we can do something with this.”

nhubbard@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @Hubbard_BHCSprt | (276) 645-2543