Greenwood Christian’s boys soccer team continues to take its road warrior mentality to new destinations.
The Cougars, a team with no home field during the past regular season, took to Milan’s newly installed turf Wednesday night and defeated No. 20 Oldenburg Academy, 4-2, in a Class A regional semifinal.
Senior midfielder Joel Flint scored a goal in each half, while freshman Bo Campbell had a goal and an assist to lead GCA (9-7-1) into Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. match at Knightstown against 16th-ranked Southwestern (15-2-2).
“We scouted them well, and the players really asserted themselves,” second-year Cougars coach Micah Adkins-Estes said. “We wanted to make sure we played like we know how to play.
“We knew we would have plenty of opportunities if we executed our game plan, and that’s what happened.”
GCA squads have advanced to the regional final in the past, but never made it to semistate.
“Our boys are fired up,” said Adkins-Estes, whose team has performed an impressive 180-degree turn after finishing 3-14 a year ago. “They know they have a chance to do something that no GCA boys soccer team has done before.”
Flint and Campbell tallied goals in the opening half, assisted by freshman Luke McNichols and senior defender Parker Satre, respectively. After intermission, Flint was assisted by Campbell, and senior Patrick Taber scored off a feed from senior forward David McLaughlin.
Greenwood Christian might be leading the state’s soccer teams in miles logged after driving south three times to Switz City, home of White River Valley High School, for last week’s sectional.
Now add traveling to Milan and the upcoming trip to Knightstown, and — well, you get the idea.
“We didn’t have a home field all year, so we’re just playing into the identity,” Adkins-Estes said. “The coaching staff and the parents help make the atmosphere as much our home as possible.”
