By By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
Sophomore Bladimir Romero scored four times and four others added goals as Washington routed South Central, 8-2, at J.G. “Choppy” Wagner Stadium on Monday night.
Romero recorded a hat trick in the first half as the Pam Pack raced to a 7-0 halftime lead.
Romero opened the scoring in the eighth minute as he blasted a ball past Falcons goalkeeper Juan Franco.
Four minutes later, the Pam Pack went ahead 2-0 as Jimmy Hardison fired a shot on goal that was knocked away by Franco. But the ball trickled to Pam Pack forward Alex Thalman, who ripped it into a wide-open net.
In the 18th minute, Hardison got one past Franco, as he put in a loose ball off of a corner kick by Hernan Perez.
Perez got another assist in the 26th minute off a corner kick that was headed in by Romero.
Less than three minutes later, Romero headed in his third goal of the game off a pass from Hardison, making it 5-0.
In the 34th minute, Washinton scored its sixth goal of the contest as forward John Lohman split a pair of defenders and then drilled a shot into the bottom right corner of the net.
The Pam Pack’s final goal of the opening half came with less than three minutes left on the clock as Manuel Romero headed in a corner kick from Perez.
In the second half, the Falcons got on the scoreboard as Washington goalie Steven Worsley attempted to clear the ball, but kicked it off a defender and the ball ricocheted over his head onto the foot of South Central forward Ahmad Kohran who put the ball in an empty net.
The Pam Pack answered in the 58th minute as Bladimir Romero recorded his fourth goal of the game off a crossing pass from Thalman.
South Central capped the scoring two and a half minutes later as Octavio Flores attempted a penalty kick, but was turned away on a terrific diving stop by Worsley. Unfortunately, the rebound bounced back to Flores, who chipped it into the net, making it 8-2.
The Pam Pack recorded 27 shots on goal, to South Central’s eight. Franco made 19 saves for the Falcons, while Worsley had eight for the Pam Pack.
Washington (8-4-1, 5-3) will be back in action on Wednesday when it travels to Vanceboro to take on West Craven.