Men’s Soccer: Orange 3, Northwood 2: Most likely, it was the Orange men’s soccer team’s final trip to Pittsboro for a conference game against Northwood. And the Panthers made it a trip worth remembering as they continue to march towards the state playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Just days after Emmanuel Mil Cruz scored in the final minute for the game-winning goal against Chapel Hill, Orange scored two goals in the final five minutes to stun Northwood 3-2 at Chargers Soccer Field on Monday night. It was the Panthers’ third straight win.
This time the hero was senior Dylan Silverman. With 1:09 remaining, Silverman took a pass from Bryan Membreno and fire a heatseeking missile from 23 yards away that went over the head of the Chargers goalkeeper and caught the roof of the net, setting off a wild celebration along the Orange sideline. It was Silverman’s first game-winning goal of the season and his second of the year. His previous goal came against Western Alamance on September 7.
Orange (10-8, 6-4 in the Central Carolina Conference) has won four in a row. They are now ranked #19 in the 3A East Region.
With 3:10 remaining, the Panthers evened the game off a corner kick sent in by Mil Cruz. The ball landed at the far post. Tyler Mann, the leading scorer on the team, dug the ball free from a Chargers defender and rolled it over the goal line from point-blank range. It was Mann’s tenth goal of the season and his 25th point.
Orange got the opening goal off a pass from Enzo Bruhns, who took a pass from Mann and sent it across with a side foot shot from 17 yards away. The Panthers completed a season sweep of the Chargers for the first time since the two teams became conference rivals in 2012.
Men’s Cross Country: In the final race before the Central Carolina Conference championship meet, Cedar Ridge’s Roman Morrell won his third race of the season at Red Wolves Cross Country course on October 11. Morrell, in his final cross country race at Cedar Ridge, finished first at 18:34.87 in a tri-meet with Orange and Person.
Red Wolves took the top three spots in the standings. Finishing in second was freshman Ryan Matthews, who crossed the finish line at 18:47.30. In third place was Henry Alexander (18:50.02).
Orange junior Gabriel Schmid finished fourth at 19:03.80. Cedar Ridge’s Edgar Ibarra came in fifth.
The Panthers’ Riley Potter came in sixth, while Don Wheelis was seventh.
Cedar Ridge finished with 19 points. Orange was second with 42 points.
Women’s Cross Country: Cedar Ridge’s Abigail Klaitman earned her first career first-place finish in Cedar Ridge’s meet on October 11 against Orange and Person. Klaitman, a sophomore, finished the 5,000 meter course at 22:40.71.
Red Wolves runners finished in the top four spots to help Cedar Ridge easily take the overall team victory. The Red Wolves finished with 17 points. Orange came in with 50 points while Person had 62.
4After Klaitman, senior Sarah Fenwick finished second at 23:41.02. Red Wolves freshman Payton Decker came in third at 24:29.30. Cedar Ridge sophomore Serena Summers crossed the finish line fourth at 24:56.30. Kaitlyn Horn was seventh at 26:01.96. Selene Galla and Sydney Lund finished ninth and tenth, respectively, for the Red Wolves.
Orange’s top finisher was Kayla Mehl, who came in eighth at 26:19.55. Kassi Scarantino, Sophia Schultz, Grace Pell, Caroline Cathey and Margaret Hales all finished in the top 15 for the Panthers.
The Central Carolina Conference men’s and women’s championship meet will take place on Wednesday at Lake Cammack Cross Country Course in Burlington.