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Mason scores three in the first half, Dippel and Kingman spark 5-0 victory over Trenton
Mason – On a chilly and rainy Wednesday, the Mason boys’ soccer team was about as slick as the field they played on.
Led by center backs John Kingman and Holden Dippel, Mason has not allowed a goal all post-season and dominated Trenton in all facets, claiming a 5-0 victory in a Division 2 region semifinal at Mason.
“Chemistry is huge, especially in a back line,” Kingman said. “Without a back line you hope you have a really good goalie, and being able to have such good chemistry between our back line, allows us to do different things in the midfield because we know all the guys in the back line can distribute balls and we’re not worried about getting beat very much.”
Gaven Smith scored first with a header on an assist from Mario Abreu with 25:12 remaining in the first half.
Christian Jordan gave Mason a 2-0 lead with 11:43 left in the first half on a header of his own on a free kick cross from Kingman.
With 4:05 left, Abreu drew a penalty kick for Mason that Dippel buried in the bottom right corner to put his team up 3-0.
In the second half Dippel made it 4-0 with his second goal of the game on a header off a corner kick from Kingman.
“You’ve got two seniors back there who are four-year varsity players,” Mason coach Nick Binder said. “You know a three-year starter and a four-year starter, and it all starts with (Dippel and Kingman). They’re the core of our team back there and obviously (Kingman) is dangerous getting forward as well as (Dippel)’s big head. He’s not a big secret that he is a target for us.”
Dippel received a yellow card with 15:52 remaining in the second half and said after the game he knows he needs to do a better job of keeping his emotions in check.
“Personally, mine was just I felt that I got hit from behind the play so I confronted the other player about it and the refs just saw the wrong thing I guess and sent us both off,” he said.
Outside back Jarod Chrome scored the game’s final goal with 1:01 remaining.
‘It’s nice to be peaking at this time of the year,” Kingman said. “We keep telling each other the only team that can beat us, is us if we don’t keep our heads.”
Mason advances to the region final against Dearborn Divine Child, which defeated Tecumseh, 2-0, on Saturday at 1 p.m.
