Owen battles Brevard to 1-1 draw

Warhorses open 2024 season at home

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 20, 2024

A tightly contested match against an unbeaten opponent greeted Owen soccer, Aug. 19, as the Warhorses kicked off the 2024 season at home.

The Warhorses hosted 2-0 Brevard in tight back-and-forth contest that ended in a 1-1 draw.

Both teams found the back of the net in the first half, as the Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead with a goal from sophomore Omar Diaz in the 18th minute. Owen senior Davis Kendall, who returned to action after missing most of last season with an injury, evened the score six minutes later.

Neither team, however, broke through in the next 64 minutes of play, ending regulation in a deadlock for the second straight season.

The match was an early test for Owen, according to third-year head coach Trei Morrison.

“I think it was exactly what you would expect in an early season match against a quality opponent,” he said. “A lot of what they do is based on work rate, and we needed to match their intensity a little bit better.”

The Warhorse attack was creative through much of the first half, the coach added, while the midfield held firm in the second.

“In the second half we were able to break through in the midfield, but when we got up near the net we were impatient and tried to do too much,” Morrison said. “Some of that is fatigue, but if we would’ve played the final 25 minutes the way we played the first 25 minutes, we would’ve won this game.”

The Owen attack displayed glimpses of promise throughout the night, offering a foundation on which to build.

“We’re finding our rhythm, and that’s something that takes work,” Morrison said. “We don’t like the result of tonight’s match, but the performance was definitely solid.”

The Warhorses will head to Sylva at 7:15 p.m., Monday, Aug. 26, to face Smoky Mountain in a non-conference match before facing T.C. Roberson on the road two days later. Owen will return home, at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 5, to host Asheville.

Photos of the 2024 Owen soccer season opener can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.