State Tournament : Hamilton blanks MP boys soccer for 3rd time this season

Chandler Hamilton has had Phoenix Mountain Pointe’s number in boys soccer this year, and that number is clearly a zero.

The Huskies shut out the Pride for the third time this year, this time 4-0, at home in the second round of the state Class 5A-I boys state soccer playoffs Saturday afternoon.

Kerel Bradford scored for the Huskies in the 13 minute and the Hamilton defense kept the Pride on their end of the first the rest of the first half.

Chase Stewart put the Huskies up, 2-0, with a header two minutes into the second half and that was when the Huskies had to keep the Pride on the ropes Hamilton coach Nick Markette said.

An old soccer adage says that a 2-0 lead is the most dangerous score in soccer.

“We were vigilant,” Markette said. “We intentionally picked it up after that and didn’t really calm down until after the fourth goal.

The Huskies beat the Pride, 5-0 and 4-0, the other times the team met this season.

“We didn’t really learn anything from those games, but we did give them a ton of respect.” Markette added. “They’re a scrappy bunch.”

Mountain Pointe coach Bryan Sabato gave his team credit for that, but was hoping for a little more offensive power.

Tanner Clay gave the Huskies a 3-0 with a little more than seven minutes remaining in the game on a shot that took a bounce in front of Pride goalie Kevin Kadisak, went over his head and into the net.

Yannick Mets put the game on ice in the final three minutes.

The Huskies took 10 shots on goal and Kadisak had six saves. Mountain Pointe took eight shots at the net.

The second seeded Huskies will  move on to meet sixth seeded Gilbert in the semifinals at Gilbert Camp Verde High School on Wednesday evening.