BOYS SOCCER Mooney High rips Linsly to stay unbeaten

By BILL SULLIVAN
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
STRUTHERS -- Under the brilliant sunshine of an early autumn afternoon, two seniors on the Cardinal Mooney High boys soccer team took care of some unfinished business in dramatic fashion Saturday at the Tri-County Sports Complex.
Christo Frangopoulos scored three goals and added two assists, while Jon Freany added a goal and an assist, as the nationally-ranked Cardinals posted a 6-0 shutout over Linsly (W. Va.) School.
Mooney (9-0-1) ran its unbeaten streak to 26 straight and has won 28 in a row at home. The Cardinals, the defending Division II state champs, lost to the Cadets 3-0 last fall.
"It finally feels good to beat them and keep the streak at home alive," said Frangopoulos.
Frangopoulos delivers
With the game just 11 minutes old, Frangopoulos exploited a crease from 30 yards away. His right-footed rocket found the back of the Linsly net.
"He works so hard as an offensive midfielder," Mooney coach Lenny Krispinsky said of Frangopoulos. "Finally he had the opportunity.
"What we've tried to do is to get him to shoot the ball earlier. Obviously it really worked."
Two minutes later, Freany discovered Frangopoulos free in front of the Cadets' goal. The defensive breakdown became a 2-0 lead.
"We really didn't want to let them beat us at home again," said Freany.
First win over Linsly
Linsly had won all six previous meetings with Mooney, and the Cadets gave the Cardinals their last home loss over two years ago.
"It was six years of frustration and it all came out in this game here," said Krispinsky.
At the 21-minute mark, Mooney sophomore Zack Hernan centered a corner kick to Freany, whose header increased the lead to 3-0.
"They didn't mark me but Zack played a great ball to me," said Freany, who now has two goals. "It was easy to put it away."
Mooney's fourth shot on goal of the game all but settled the matter. Frangopoulos attacked the middle of the field then fed freshman Dominic DiPasquale, who was open in the right wing.
His 15-yard uncontested shot produced a 4-0 cushion.
Despite never leaving the field his junior season, Frangopoulos ended the 2002 year with no scores. He now has six goals in 10 games.
Focusing on Willis
Linsly (9-4-1) opened the match paying particular attention to Mooney junior Kiki Willis, who entered the game with 22 goals this year and 88 in his career.
"All we want to do is take some pressure off Kiki and spread the offense out a little more," said Frangopoulos.
Linsly coach Dave Coutts thought Mooney was the best team the Cadets have faced, and are more than just a one-dimensional squad.
"That's who we were focusing on to start," said Coutts of Willis. "He didn't score in the beginning but their other guys did."
Mooney got good play from its defense, especially freshman Kyle Buxman who helped to frustrate Linsly senior Stephen Reihner.
"He was quick, he was fast, he was big," said Krispinsky of Reihner.
Reihner, a Penn State recruit, had scored 18 goals thus far but seldom got a good look at Mooney goalie Jeff Seddon, who had six saves.
"The offense controlled the ball real well," said Freany. "All we had to do is play the ball up to them and they did great things with it."
Frangopoulos made it 5-0 at the half on another nice assist from Hernan.
Finally, with 12 minutes remaining, Willis faked to the middle, dribbled to his right and scored on a cross to make it 6-0.
sullivan@vindy.com