Hoggard Men’s soccer hands Laney first loss of season in 4-1 win

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Hoggard Men’s soccer handed Laney its first loss of the season Tuesday night, defeating the Buccaneers 4-1 in a matchup of two unbeaten teams. The game was a rematch of last fall’s 8A East Championship game, with defending state champion Hoggard entering the night 8-0-1 and Laney holding a perfect 13-0 record.

The Vikings set the tone early in the first half. Jace Tucker gained control of the ball and found the back of the net to give Hoggard a 1-0 lead. Charlie Fatzinger added another for the Vikings, slipping the ball past Laney’s goalkeeper to extend the lead to 2-0 before halftime.

Hoggard kept the pressure on in the second half. Harry Dyer scored to give the Vikings a 3-0 advantage before Laney answered with a header from Grady Luckadoo, cutting Hoggard’s lead to 3-1.

Ayoub Abdelhamid then scored the final goal of the night, giving Hoggard the 4-1 victory. Abdelhamid said scoring in a rivalry matchup was a moment he had been waiting for.

“It’s been a moment I’ve been dreaming of my whole life. Obviously, I’ve gone a whole year without scoring, so in a big game like this, it’s a big moment with everyone around me. It’s just a beautiful moment,” Abdelhamid said. “It’s a big result for us obviously, and to take conference because we need the home advantage for playoffs. Hoggard is coming for a two-time state ship, baby.”

The win moves Hoggard to 9-0-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play, while Laney suffers its first loss after opening the season with 13 straight wins. The Vikings return to conference play Thursday when they travel to West Brunswick.