BROOKLET — A three-minute stretch late in the first half turned a 1-1 game into a comfortable lead for Savannah Arts, and the Panthers went on to defeat Southeast Bulloch, 6-2, in a Region 3-AAA boys soccer game Tuesday at Fred Shaver Field.

    Danny Healy was taken down by the Savannah Arts goalie a little more than two minutes into the game drawing a penalty shot. The senior fired his kick into the right side of the goal for a 1-0 lead.

    The Panthers tied it seven minutes later, also on a penalty kick and the score stayed 1-1 for the next 20 minutes. Savannah Arts then took advantage of several defensive lapses and finished three quality chances strongly from the 11:35 mark to the 8:44 mark of the first half and took a 4-1 lead into halftime.

    Savannah Arts made it 5-1 11 minutes into the second half, but Healy notched his second goal of the game, also off a penalty kick – not the traditional way, however. On his penalty, the Savannah goalie guessed correctly and pushed the ball to his right. Healy got the rebound and dribbled out to his left, turned and then launched a perfect touch shot over the defense and goalie into the right side of the goal to make it 5-2 at the 27:02 mark.

    Savannah Arts added its final goal with two minutes to play.

    Yellow Jackets sophomore goalie Mitchell Waters made 12 saves for the game, including five athletic stops to keep Southeast in the game.

    SEB remains winless on the season at 0-4, 0-2 in region play. The Yellow Jackets travel to Blackshear Friday for a non-region game with Pierce County at 7 p.m.   

Lady Jackets falter
    The Southeast Bulloch girl’s soccer team fell to 0-5 on the season as they lost at home to Savannah Arts by a score of 5-0.

“I felt like we played better defensively,” said Southeast Bulloch coach Kristen Barnhill. “We have a lot of younger girls transitioning from middle school and junior varsity, and I see them progressing.”

The Yellow Jackets hung in for the first half trailing only 2-0 at halftime, but the Panthers scored three second half goals to go on to win 5-0.

“We have now played the toughest part of our schedule,” Barnhill said. “We lost six seniors from last season who were also key leaders,” Barnhill said. “We have players like Emily Barnard, Gracie Thompson and Autumn Brown who are all stepping into those roles. Makayla James has also been solid in goal for us which has been huge.”