Devils blank outmanned Shamrocks
April 1, 2008 • Boys Soccer
Story and Photos by Michael Orr

Dreher's Yani Mouratev passes upfield in the first half.

Dreher gave further evidence as to why they are the fourth ranked team in the state with a 10- 0 drubbing of Eau Claire at Memorial Stadium on April 1. Yani Mouratev recorded a hat trick and seven other Blue Devils scored en route to the blowout win.

Arriving with only eight players, Eau Claire's chances seemed slight from the start. The eight- on- eight game resembled a practice scrimmage with each team taking several minutes to figure out spacing and how to avoid offside calls. After ten minutes of relative quiet from both teams, Mouratev blasted a straight on shot past Eau Claire goalkeeper Xavius Camps for the game's first score. The goal opened the floodgates as the Blue Devils score three more times in the next two and a half minutes giving Mouratev his hat trick. Eau Claire did manage one quality chance at a goal but Dominic Robinson- Neal's rebound attempt was saved.

The Blue Devil assault continued throughout the first half with as many as eight shots on goal missing the mark, including a penalty kick after a handball in the box by Eau Claire. Finally, Robert Switzer found the net with 11:49 left in the half for Dreher's fifth goal of the half. Despite the barrage of shots, Camps had a good game in goal for the Shamrocks. Saving shot after shot, Camps prevented the score from really getting out of hand.

Eau Claire's Thomas Outing defends while Dreher's Connor Sprinkle reaches for the ball.

Opening the second half, Dreher scored in less than a minute as Patrick McGill tapped in a Byron Quinatoa corner. Quinatoa then launched a missile from outside the box, but a fully extended and diving Camps spectacularly saved the shot. The Dreher star would eventually rocket another shot into the net, extending the lead to 7- 0 with 30 minutes to play.

Throughout the game, the beleaguered Eau Claire defenders, Marquiton Richardson, Andrew Bolton and Thomas Outing played hard and gave their best efforts. But the Dreher offensive press was simply overwhelming as three more Blue Devils scored in the game's final 20 minutes to provide the final outcome of 10- 0 in favor of the home team.

Dreher will next host Lugoff- Elgin on April 4 while Eau Claire will travel to Gilbert.