Written by Samantha Shifrin
No. 1-ranked Ponaganset High School took on No. 3 Exeter-West Greenwich Thursday night under the lights at Exeter-West Greenwich High School.
Both teams entered the match undefeated, making this a highly anticipated matchup with plenty at stake. Neither team wanted to suffer its first loss of the season.
Just 17 minutes into the game, sophomore No. 2 Johnny DePietro made his mark. DePietro dribbled through multiple defenders before dodging the goalkeeper’s save attempt. He then fired the ball into the back left corner of the net, giving Exeter-West Greenwich the early lead.
Both teams went back and forth, with both goalies recording a couple of saves. Intensity was high with multiple free kicks awarded to both teams.
Ponaganset had multiple chances, but the Knights’ senior goalie Aidan Rumgay stood tall, coming up with two big saves to help his team keep the lead.
With just under nine minutes remaining in the first half, DePietro struck again from 10 yards out, firing a rocket into the back of the net for his second goal.
The goal seemed to energize the Knights, who kept applying pressure. Just minutes later, junior No. 23 Trevor Kurzbach connected on a volley, extending the Knights’ lead.
The score was 3-0 going into halftime.
At halftime, the Knights head coach Derek Thaye talked to the team about “adjustments” and being “interchangeable”
His talk seemed to help as the Knights were dominant in the second half, holding the Chieftains scoreless. Rumgay ended the game having completed a shutout.
After the game, Rumgay said he was “hyped” for the win and happy his team “pulled through”.
Exeter-West Greenwich has moved up to No. 2 in the Rhode Island Boys Division III soccer rankings with a perfect 6-0-0 record. Ponaganset currently sits at No. 3 with a 3-1-3 record.
Thaye told his team before the game that “we just wanted them to work hard, play 110%, and enjoy it,” and that’s exactly what his team did.
