<p>For the Daily Journal</p>
<p>SHELBYVILLE</p>
<p>An aggressive attack is often enough for a soccer team to end up victorious. Throw in a stifling defense, and you get a dominating performance.</p>
<p>That’s what the Class A No. 11 Greenwood Christian boys soccer team got Monday night as it blanked Morristown, 4-0, in the first round of the Southwestern Sectional.</p>
<p>The two-time defending sectional champion Cougars (11-6) were determined to defend their championship and it looked it even before the match started.</p>
<p>“We came out focused right away,” GCA coach Jason Noel said. “Our intensity was really high, and we pinched them back and pressured them.”</p>
<p>The Cougars are putting things together at the perfect moment, as they face sixth-ranked Oldenburg Academy in a semifinal match on Wednesday at 7 p.m.</p>
<p>It was the second win over the Yellow Jackets for GCA, which also took a 3-1 regular-season victory in early September.</p>
<p>As easy at that game was, this one was no contest.</p>
<p>Freshman Samuel Graves got things started, scoring in the sixth minute. Of course, Greenwood Christian didn’t know it at the time, but that was the only offense they needed.</p>
<p>However, the Cougars continued to smother the Yellow Jackets and disrupt their attack, and Luke Walters scored GCA’s second goal 11 minutes later with an assist from Noah Harris.</p>
<p>Harris added another goal to his tally shortly before the half ended, assisted by Josue Mier.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, senior goalie Gabe Vessely didn’t have to work too hard as the Cougars’ defense prevented the Yellow Jackets from getting a shot on goal.</p>
<p>Vessely also helped his own cause by going after several Morristown passes, keeping the Yellow Jackets from getting anything going near the goal.</p>
<p>“Our defense played really well,” Noel said. “Griffin Peters played phenomenal. He runs the middle really well, and of course Gabe. I feel very comfortable with him in goal.”</p>
<p>Mier finished up the scoring, capping a great overall effort from Greenwood Christian.</p>
<p>The Cougars will need another performance like it on Wednesday against the Twisters, a team the Cougars have eliminated in each of the last two postseasons.</p>
<p>“It will be a tough matchup,” Noel said. “We’ve faced them the past two years so we know about them. Hopefully we can do it again tomorrow.”</p>
