LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- The phrase "when it rains it pours" held true for the Scots soccer team in multiple ways on Tuesday night, as the squad took to a rain-soaked Scotland Yard looking to claim its fourth consecutive victory against the visiting Emory and Henry Eagles. Indeed, the literal rain had been pouring throughout much of the day, soaking the pitch and putting the only dampener on what was shaping up to be an otherwise bright and eventful night. The men's team was hosting its first night game under the new lights at Scotland Yard, and the players were eager to extend their perfect home record by making the evening one to remember for both themselves and their fans alike.
It only took the better part of four minutes before the goals began "pouring" in. Outside midfielder David Pifer received a nice cross-field pass from sophomore Tyler Morrison, and then sped past the Eagle defense before slamming in a goal off the far post. It was the senior's third goal of the season, but he wasn't stopping there. Some three minutes later, Pifer was at it again, running onto another Morrison ball and taking a shot that deflected off the keeper's hands. Pifer was on hand to collect his own rebound, though, and spun around to power the ball beneath the keeper for a 2-0 Covenant lead after just six minutes of play.
"Scoring early is always important, especially in conditions like these," said Head Coach Nathan Pifer, "and when we score two goals in the first six minutes, then we've definitely set ourselves up real nice."
Johnny Frame continued the scoring trend in the 40th minute when he collected a loose ball from a blocked Chris Pifer shot and slid his shot through traffic and into the back of the net to put the Scots up by three. Just moments later, the Scot's leading scorer on the season, Julian Allgeier, hit an incredible, dipping shot from 35-yards out to make it 4-0 going into the half. "I was very happy with the scoreline at half," said Coach Pifer, "but anytime the field is this wet, crazy things can happen, and we didn't want to give them any chance at a comeback."
Thankfully, David Pifer was on hand for the Scots yet again, as he eliminated any chance of an Eagle's resurgence with a 25-yard blast that sailed beyond the keeper's reach and into the upper corner of the goal for a 5-0 advantage early in the second half. "Before tonight, I had never scored more than one goal in a game, so to score a hat-trick in our first ever game under these new lights was pretty special," said Pifer after the game. "More importantly, though, our team played well considering the weather and we're hoping to keep getting the goals, the clean sheets, and the wins here at home."
The Scots are now a perfect 3-0 at home on the season and a steady 5-3 overall. The defense has yet to allow a goal at home on Scotland Yard this season and will look to continue that trend when it faces Methodist University at home this Saturday at 1:00 P.M. The team will then be preparing itself for the rivalry match against Bryan College, which will take place on Scotland Yard the following Tuesday night at 7:00 P.M.
