Sussex Academy soccer bests the Bucs

The Sussex Academy soccer team moved to 5-1 on the season with a 2-1 victory over Milford Sept. 24. The Bucs fell to 4-2.

“I think we saw glimpses of character from this group tonight,” said Sussex Academy head coach RJ Dina. “To score early, miss some blatant chances, concede and still win the game, it was an important growth step for us.”

Sussex Academy outshot the Bucs 7-1, and each team had four corners.

Chase Ballinger scored the first goal off an assist by Liam Stegall at the 10-minute mark.

The Bucs evened the game at the 64-minute mark on a penalty kick by Emmanuel Joseph.

At the 75-minute mark, Sussex Academy’s Andres Romero took a pass from Ballinger and beat the Milford keeper for the game winner.

Carter Norton made three saves for the Seahawks, while Milford’s Fernando Flores made five stops.

It was a game the coaches called ugly. Players were often on the Briggs Stadium turf during the physical contest.

“The thing about games like tonight, there are always going to be distractions,” Dina said. “Tough calls, emotional fans, physical play. We have to be able to come out on the other side with some form of composure. If teams see weakness in a side like ours, they’ll pounce. We need to be better in moments of adversity. We need to be mentally tougher. It’s a long season.”