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The Pelham and Briarwood boys soccer programs both played outstanding in the Lakeshore Shootout Gold Division. (Reporter Photos/Andrew Simonson)

The Pelham and Briarwood boys soccer programs both played outstanding in the Lakeshore Shootout Gold Division. (Reporter Photos/Andrew Simonson)

By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

The Pelham Panthers and Briarwood Christian Lions both exited the Lakeshore Shootout Gold Division without a loss as both boys soccer programs have gotten their fledgling seasons off to strong starts.

Pelham obtained two wins and a draw in the tournament, while Briarwood won all three of their games to finish as runner-up in the division behind Homewood.

Pelham first faced the Oxford Yellow Jackets on Thursday, Feb. 13. The game saw both teams put forth strong efforts, ending in a 2-2 draw.

The game started off with a bang in the first half. Eleven minutes into the game, Anzel Santos bent a corner kick into the net to score an Olimpico for the Panthers. The goal sent Santos’s teammates and the Pelham faithful into a frenzy.

After the spectacular goal from Santos, Pelham’s defense held strong the rest of the first half, heading to halftime with a 1-0 lead. Oxford recovered nicely in the second half, scoring goals in the 49th and 60th minute to take a 2-1 lead.

Head coach Patrick McDonald’s team did not blink in the face of the sudden adversity as Elder Esquivel calmly scored an equalizing goal in the 69th minute to bring the game to a draw.

The Panthers next matchup was on Friday, Feb. 14 against the Gadsden City Titans and resulted in a 2-1 Pelham victory.

Jose Ramirez Acosta fired a ball into the back of the net two minutes into the game, silencing the Gadsden City crowd and putting Pelham up 1-0. The Titans responded to Ramirez’s early goal with a free-kick bomb from the top of the box in the 23rd minute, bringing the game level.

With the game tied 1-1 at halftime and early in the second half, Orlando Garcia-Avalos scored a banger from outside of the 18-yard box in the 55th minute, putting the Panthers up for good.

Pelham’s final contest on Saturday, Feb. 15 against the Randolph Raiders was a low-scoring contest that saw Pelham claim a 1-0 victory courtesy of an Esquivel free kick in the fifth minute of the game.

This was the only offense the Panthers needed with Jeffrey Palacios netting a clean sheet in net.

Briarwood’s campaign in the Lakeshore Shootout started off strong against Randolph on Friday, Feb. 14. The Lions won 6-0 behind a Sawyer Felton hat trick.

The Raiders had no offensive answer for Briarwood’s strong defensive gameplan, and Thomas Lanier and Felton scored two early goals in the 10th and 19th minutes, respectively, to put the Lions up 2-0 in the first half.

Carson Tucker scored in the 36th minute off an Ian Robertson assist near the beginning of the second half while Lanier added another score in the 39th minute to nab a brace.

Felton exploded for two goals in two minutes to net a hat trick. His scores came in the 64th and 65th minutes of the game to put the matchup on ice.

Briarwood’s matchup against Gadsden City on Saturday, Feb. 15 was another shutout, this time by a winning margin of 3-0. Three different players scored for the Lions in the victory.

Spencer Martens scored off an Ian Robertson assist in the 25th minute to put Briarwood up 1-0. Cannon Robertson and Jake Vandixhorn scored a goal each in quick succession to put the Lions up 3-0 in the second half.

Briarwood’s final game, a 4-2 victory over Oxford on Saturday, Feb. 15 saw the Lions capitalize on multiple Yellow Jacket defensive mistakes.

Lanier, Felton and Vandixhorn all scored on penalty kicks in the game, with Spencer Martens scoring off a Fynn Eighmy assist in the 40th minute to complete the four-goal tally.

Up next for Pelham is a home game against Carver-Birmingham on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Briarwood, meanwhile, will face Thompson at home at the same time.

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