Harvey vs. Chardon boys soccer: Red Raiders keep rolling with 4-0 win, get to 13-1-1
Oct. 6—The signature event in Painesville every year is "Party in the Park."
There is a different party in the park taking place this fall east of the town square at Jack Britt Memorial Stadium.
That party is being hosted by the Harvey boys side, which continues to provide hope the festivities could last for a while in 2022.
Kevin Fonseca netted a second-half brace and Byron Perez contributed a key goal nearing the hour mark as the Red Raiders dispatched visiting Chardon, 4-0, on Oct. 6.
#NHsoccer Harvey junior striker Kevin Fonseca discusses his side's 4-0 win over Chardon to get to 13-1-1
Young man had himself a nice 2nd half brace — like the way he finds pockets of space in general vs. backlines & brings width to the table @GoooooooRaiders @harvey__soccer pic.twitter.com/hIdlQD0zQP
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) October 7, 2022
Harvey, the No. 2 side in The News-Herald boys soccer Top of the Crop, is now 13-1-1 and on form. The Red Raiders are on an eight-match win streak, a 10-match unbeaten run since Aug. 31 and have cracked the top 15 in the Division II state coaches' poll.
With 13 shots on target, eight corners and improved quality in the natural flow of attack after halftime, there was plenty to like for Coach Natalie Sisler and her red-hot side.
"Overall, it was good," Sisler said. "Our passing is there obviously, but I feel like sometimes we just go on one side of the field. And in the first half, I feel like that was what we were doing, and our attack just wasn't there. I feel like, once we got that second goal, that's when they started to feel more confident going forward and they all started to get more hungry.
"I feel really confident going into the playoffs. I think, overall, the guys feel confident. I think early on, like the tie to Hawken and the loss to Brecksville, are actually going to help us going forward. Because we learn from those things. We've got that weight off our shoulders. They're just excited, and I feel like we're doing a great job as a team pressing for the most part. And I feel like that's what's going to help us going forward, fresh legs and all that."
Josue Rodriguez gave Harvey a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute. The senior midfielder did well to collect service, get a touch to his right foot and bang his finish home wide inside the left post.
Fonseca, one of three News-Herald coverage area boys players in double digits this season in goals and assists, provided his side a dream start to the second 40. The junior striker had an initial effort turned away but flicked home a one-touch rebound 31 seconds into the second half for a 2-0 advantage.
The match swung decisively approaching the hour mark.
The Hilltoppers (7-9), to their credit, were hanging within 2-0 and getting better looks in the attack, direct and on the counter. Ethen Jackson had a strike stymied in the 52nd minute by Red Raiders goalkeeper Adan Torres, who logged four saves for his 11th clean sheet of the year.
Harvey put a vise grip on the result with strikes 39 seconds apart from Perez and Fonseca. It was the 15th goal of 2022 for Perez, a versatile junior, and Fonseca is now up to 22 goals and 13 assists in his junior campaign.
"Kevin and me, we are teammates and we are like family," Perez said. "He's like my brother, so I understand his play and how he's playing. So it's easier for me to play with him.
"We're feeling like we're the best team right now. We are like a family. And we want more. We want the state, so we're going to go for that."
#NHsoccer My postmatch analysis of Harvey's 4-0 win over Chardon
(Match story coming shortly) pic.twitter.com/C8YQxtnXLO
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) October 7, 2022
