Playing Ayden-Grifton for the second time in eight days, the Washington soccer team once again dominated possession but couldn’t replicate the nine-goal victory, defeating the Chargers at home yesterday, 3-1.

Washington (7-3, 3-0 2A Eastern Carolina Conference) brought up six players from the JV team for yesterday’s game, playing them the entire first half against Ayden-Grifton (2-4, 0-2 2A Eastern Carolina Conference). The young Pam Pack squad dominated the Chargers, stringing together passes and keeping possession, but it was Ayden-Grifton that struck first, knocking in a loose rebound after a scramble in Washington’s box.

Washington almost went into the halftime break trailing 1-0, but then a moment of quality saw the game evened up at 1-1. Freshman Brian Martinez, one of the six JV players, hit a first-time shot off of a cross that rocketed into the net.

The Pam Pack’s senior players entered the fray in the second half and continued Washington’s possession of the ball. Tim Anglim, who scored twice during the first matchup between Washington and Ayden-Grifton on Sept. 17, broke the deadlock with a header off of a cross. Graham Parker added an insurance goal for the Pam Pack, ripping a left-footed shot from just inside the box that found its way through a crowded box and into the back of the Chargers’ goal.

Despite passing the ball well and keeping possession from Ayden-Grifton, Washington head coach Jim Kozuch wasn’t pleased with his team’s inability to finish off chances. It has been an issue for the Pam Pack this season and Kozuch said, “eventually it’s going to catch up to us.”

“We had a million passes, we were playing for possession and we possessed the ball really well,” Kozuch said. “We did a really good job possessing the ball, but I would say we probably had 20 shots in the second half and only put a handful of them on goal. And if we put them on goal, we kicked a lot of them just right at the goalie. We didn’t make him work at all.”