When the two teams shook hands at the end, Brandywine boys soccer coach Evan Winkler told Buchanan boys soccer coach Brian Pruett that the first half between the two teams was fun.

The second half wasn’t fun for Winkler as the Bucks outscored the Bobcats, 5-0, to claim a 7-1 Lakeland Conference win.

“The second half was disappointing,” said Winkler, whose team fell to 5-10 overall and 1-2 in the conference. “The first seven minutes (in the second half) were pretty bad. Not the way we wanted to come out. That first kickoff (in the second half) we started out really good. After that, they came out and played harder and we didn’t pick up our intensity and stay with that intensity to hang with them. If we can put together 80 minutes we’ll be good. The first half was great.”

Momentum started to shift in Buchanan’s direction at the end of the first half. The Bucks to a 2-1 lead with 4:02 left in the first half when Kevin Dey scored his second of three goals on a header off an assist from A.J. Reed.

Dey’s first goal was also a header and it gave the Bucks a 1-0 lead two minutes into the match. On that shot, Alex Swem’s attempt deflected off of Brandywine goalie Brock Hartline directly to Dey, who converted.

Dey’s third goal extended Buchanan’s lead to 3-1 with 38:06 left in the match. Elijah Lewis assisted on that score.

“Probably, my second goal was the most important,” said Dey, who has scored over 10 goals on the season. “It put us up and we just kept on rolling from there. My teammates placed perfect balls to me inside the 18 (goal box).”
Height helps the 6-foot-3 Dey be an offensive force.

“It’s an advantage,” the Bucks senior said. “Being able to jump and being my height comes in handy.”

Pruett, whose team improved to 10-4-2 overall and 2-0-1 in the league, admires the way a less than healthy Dey has continued to be an offensive threat.

“He’s been hobbled the entire season,” said Pruett. “Last year, he had injuries here and there, but he was pretty healthy. This year, he’s had soreness here and there with his knees. He’s played through everything. That’s helped us win games. When you have someone that tall and dangerous you’re never out of a game.”

Buchanan also got goals in the second half from Swem, Isaac Meahl and Alex Brown. An own goal gave Buchanan a 4-1 lead with 33:53 left in the match. Buchanan outshot Brandywine, 14-2, in the second half.

“Honestly, I think when the second half started and Brandywine dribbled right through our entire team and got a shot right on goal and I screamed out, ‘why don’t you just give them a goal’. From that point on, we scored a few minutes later. I had to light a fire I guess underneath them because we came out flat.

“That’s the team we can be. We’ve been on a streak of about eight or nine games now where we haven’t lost because we’ve played complete games. Today, Brandywine gave us trouble in the first half. (Brandywine) never gave up. That was a great first half. Once we got that third goal we were able to run with it. We are a little bit deeper this year and that’s an advantage for us.”

Brandywine tied the match at 1 after getting a penalty kick goal from Zach Schmidt with 13:17 left in the first.

The Bobcats appeared to have scored earlier off a corner kick, but the officials didn’t allow the header goal to count.

“A little controversial,” Winkler said. “The ref said that our guy pushed off and created space and then went up for the header. It’s a tough one. You don’t see a lot of in the box calls. But, it’s a call, and we have to adjust to whatever the officials do.”

“I was really proud of the way we played in the first half. We have to put together a whole game to be able to play with a team like Buchanan because they’ll bring it.”

Buchanan…7
Brandywine…1
Halftime score
Buchanan 2, Brandywine 1

First half
BU – Kevin Dey (Alex Swem) 38:00
BR – Zach Schmidt (penalty kick) 13:17
BU – Dey (A.J. Reed) 4:02

Second half
BU – Dey (Elijah Lewis) 38:06
BU – own goal 33:53
BU – Swem 32:15
BU – Isaac Meahl 25:44
BU – Alex Brown (Reed) 2:06

Shots on goal
Buchanan 25, Brandywine 10

Saves
Buchanan 4 (Cade Vargo)
Brandywine 10 (Brock Hartline 10, Seth Lane 4)

Corner kicks
Buchanan 8, Brandywine 2