High school boys soccer: Gainesville shuts out P.K. Yonge 4-0

Following the cancelation of Gainesville’s boys soccer matchup with Buchholz earlier this week, the appetite of Gainesville and its fans was satiated by Thursday night’s match-up against the P.K. Yonge Blue Wave, which saw Gainesville secure a comfortable 4-0 win. 

Continuing their dominance from past seasons, the Hurricanes (8-0-1) have yet to lose this year, with their only tie coming in a 1-1 draw to Fleming Island. The ‘Canes entered the Thursday’s game at Citizens Field ranked 28th in the country, according to MaxPreps. 

The Blue Wave (4-7-2) has had a rocky start to the season trying to adjust to the loss of last season’s senior core of Roberto Hurtado, Alex Barnett, and Carter Smith, who combined for over 60 goals and 20 assists last season. They started the new year with a 2-0 win against Lake Weir, and were heading into this game looking to continue form.

© Jesse Gann, Jesse Gann/Gainesville Sun P.K. Yonge’s forward Ciaran Foley (7) tries to stop Gainesville High School defender Kade Hoon (15) from moving the ball downfield during the first half of the game between Gainesville High School and P.K. Yonge at Citizens Field in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, January 5, 2023. [Jesse Gann/Gainesville Sun]

Here are the key takeaways from the two teams’ bout at Citizens Field. 

Gainesville’s youth provides offensive spark

While it’s no question that its senior core is the driving force of the team, the future of Gainesville is in good hands. Junior Anand Alvarenga quickly made his mark, scoring 40 seconds into the first half after picking the pocket of a P.K. Yonge center-back and slotting a shot in the bottom right of the goal. His persistence gave Blue Wave defenders trouble all night. 

On top of two assists, freshman Dylan Fitzpatrick notched his sixth goal of the season, making him the Hurricanes’ leading scorer, ahead of seniors Brendan Foley (5) and Ryleigh Peyer (4). Fitzpatrick’s goal came early in the second half when he dove to head in a beautiful cross from junior Daniel Brown. 

“P.K. Yonge is a solid team, so any time a freshman can come into a game like this and directly contribute to three goals, that’s big,” said Gainesville head coach Basil Benjamin.

Over the summer, Fitzpatrick played with the Florida Olympic Development (ODP) state team, where he was one of 12 players chosen to be part of the southern region ODP player pool. Fitzpatrick ended the night with a goal and two assists, and was named the Hurricanes’ Player of the Game.

A new prospect emerges

Watching GHS’s warmups closely, one may have noticed an unfamiliar face; wearing the number 18. Senior Isaac Gugel joined the team this week to make an already-strong team even stronger.

Gugel was one of Alachua’s biggest prospects in his freshman year at Eastside before moving to Spain for two years to play with Aravaca, a soccer team based in Madrid. Returning to Gainesville for his senior year, he will undoubtedly be a valuable asset to the Hurricanes’ offense. 

“He’s a top-level player. We are looking for more people to come in and help us in the attack, score some goals, get some assists, and I think he’s going to be able to that,” said Benjamin when asked about Gugel’s potential to impact the team. “I’m looking forward to him being able to play.”

Gugel also plays for the U18 team of Gainesville soccer club Leg-A-Z World. 

P.K. Yonge’s defensive struggles continue

So far this season, P.K. Yonge’s defense has had trouble filling the hole left by star center back Alex Barnett, who now plays at the University of North Florida. In seven of its 13 games, the Blue Wave have let in three or more goals, often turning to their offense, headlined by junior Ciaran Foley and senior Simon Noguerol, to win these scoring contests. 

The Blue Wave seemingly had no answer to Gainesville’s possession-based style of play, allowing the Hurricanes to dominate the midfield for most of the game. While both Noguerol and Foley had a couple opportunities, it was ultimately not enough to stop the onslaught of the Hurricanes.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: High school boys soccer: Gainesville shuts out P.K. Yonge 4-0