Martin Simon Rodriguez
Columbus East didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard against Bedford North Lawrence Tuesday evening.
Martin Simon Rodriguez chipped a pass over the head of the Stars goalkeeper before collecting the ball and putting it in the net just 22 seconds into the game. That was the first of three goals in the first 13 minutes for the Olympians and three in the game for Simon Rodriguez and kick-started East to a 4-0 Hoosier Hills Conference boys soccer victory.
“I think getting that goal early was definitely something that we wanted to do, especially after the last couple of games and how we performed,” East coach Josh Gonsior said. “I think that was really going to set the tone for the rest of the game for us. We got those two other goals in the first 15 minutes or so, and I felt we just kind of took our foot off the gas and didn’t play up to that same level that we saw in the first 15 minutes. Hopefully we can replicate that for 80 minutes going forward.”
The Olympians (2-1-2, 2-0) added a second goal in the ninth minute when senior center back Justin Sylva took a pass from fellow center back Eddie Aranda Michel and rocketed one in from 30 yards out. It was the first career goal for Sylva.
“I felt it was very important,” Sylva said. “We came off a loss (to Providence on Saturday), a rough one, and the team was just down, so getting those two early just really helped getting the team going. We can put it in the back of the net. We are dangerous, and it just brought everybody up.”
Justin Sylva
Simon Rodriguez added his second goal in the 13th minute off a pass from Gui Silva Coehlo. The final goal came in the 69th minute, when Simon Rodriguez finished a cross from Brady Wiltsey.
An exchange student from Spain, Rodriguez joined the team after the season started and scored his first goal in Thursday’s 1-0 win at Seymour.
“I played hard to get those goals,” Simon Rodriguez said. “All those goals are hard to get.”
East outshot the Stars 26-4. The Olympians put 15 shots on goal to one for BNL.
Backup goalkeeper Gus Sciano played the first 77 minutes in net for East and recorded one save. Ryder Meek did not face a shot in the final three minutes.
The Olympians remained unbeaten in the HCC with the wins against Seymour and BNL.
“We started off a little slow, but I think getting these two wins here is definitely going to set the tone for this season,” Sylva said.
